To be successful in sales you need to be convincing, and that means having the right attitude.
“Sales is the effective communication of an idea in order to influence events and thinking,” says Thomas Caldwell, chairman of Caldwell Securities Ltd. in Toronto. Caldwell spoke on communicating value and selling to clients at a CFA Society event in Toronto this week.
He offered these tips to help you achieve sales success:
> Know that you are providing a service
You must truly believe that what you are doing will help people.
Success in sales doesn’t come without rejection, says Caldwell. To move past that rejection — and the fear of it — you must truly believe in what you are doing and that it will help others.
That way, Caldwell says, if the person still rejects you, it’s their loss, not yours.
> Exude enthusiasm
In addition to believing in what you’re selling you should show that you are excited about it.
“The No. 1 thing that sells is enthusiasm,” says Caldwell. “You have to believe and be enthusiastic about the idea that you are trying to communicate.”
You may be talking about a specific investment product, he says. But the exciting idea that that you’re communicating is security, growth or profit.
> Prove you are trustworthy
To be successful in sales, says Caldwell, you must be honest with prospects right from the start.
When you call or meet with someone for the first time, immediately inform him or her who you are, where you’re calling from and why, says Caldwell. Don’t try to sneak past assistants by claiming to know the person from school or at a party that never happened.
> Dress to impress
To make an impression, dress in a way the confirms that you are serious about the prospect and his or her money.
Caldwell’s office has a conservative dress code every day of the week. There is no “casual Friday.”
“I don’t want anyone to think that we’re casual about their money,” he says.
IE