The ultimate goal of any business is to make a profit. With so many products and salespersons jockeying for your customers’ attention, it’s important to know how to employ sales techniques that will help you stand out, particularly online. While every business and product may need a different approach, there are general principles that can be applied to all types of selling. 

Sales techniques to attract customers and persuade them to buy

Attracting customers online is very different from persuading them to buy from you. Unfortunately, putting as many calls-to-action (CTAs) in their field of view is not going to work. Attraction and persuasion are two aspects of sales conversations that should be linked and strategically aligned to produce the results you need. You can reach your target audiences and convince them to make a purchase by:

1) Researching

Before you can persuade your customers to buy from you, you need to make sure your product represents real value to your customers. Identify your customers’ needs so that your product fills the gaps that your competitors can’t. These features will need to be emphasized when you present your products to potential customers and try to convince them that buying from you is worth their money.

2) Listening

Before you start selling, you need to listen to your customers. What’s in it for them? Put yourself in your customers’ shoes by listening to their concerns and paying attention to their needs, problems, and feedback. If they tell you that your sales talk is too intrusive or off-putting, you may have to go back to the drawing board and see what changes you need to make. The principle of listening also applies to online ads, email marketing, vlogs, and every type of online marketing out there. Make your business stand out by showing your customers that you are prepared to listen to them. This is the first step in gaining their trust and persuading them that they should spend their money on what you have to offer. 

3) Using customer-centric language

Customers love feeling valued. After all, it is their money that will help your business grow. Show your appreciation for them by putting them in the centre. This is exhibited by using a polite, grateful, and conversational tone of voice for any sales or promotional material. 

4) Demonstrating how your product works

Business social media accounts exist for much more than keeping up with the trends. Make these platforms work to your advantage by using social media to demonstrate how your product works. The modern consumer is always wary of scams, defects, and malfunctions. You need to show them that your product is all it’s cracked up to be prior to convincing them to buy. Upload videos or pictures of your product being used. This is the same technique that cookware advertisers use on TV—and it’s very effective. Social media is far cheaper than TV, so use it as your leverage to show that you are selling something that’s the “real deal.” Product demonstrations also enable your target audiences to imagine themselves using the product. Include a video of past customers’ testimonials to bolster audience trust.

5) Up-selling steadily

Don’t overwhelm your target audiences with what you think are the benefits of your product. You’ll merely sound like you’re trying to pull off a hard sale. Instead, hook them by addressing their needs and showing them that your product can be of value. Once they subscribe to your suggested “urgent” solution, you can use the data you have on your customers to convince them of other features and accessories your product has. 

Only when their most pressing questions are answered and met by your products can you think about convincing them to “save” more or reap “more” benefits by buying more products from you. Most salespeople online make the mistake of overhyping their sales efforts, so you actually stand out by keeping your up-selling tempered in the beginning.

Conclusion

The internet is probably the most notable technological marvel of our time. With it came a revolution in the way we do things—including sell products. Now that everyone is looking to tap into the global market, make sure that you know how to stand out with the aforementioned tips. 

If you’re looking for help in implementing these and other techniques, get in touch with us today for a free consultation!

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We understand it can be difficult to know where to start when building a framework for sales conversations, so we’ve developed a Sales Conversation “Cheat Sheet” you can download HERE.