There are many attributes that make a good salesperson. Passion, tenacity, self-motivation, confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are some of the traits that deliver results.
What is considered the most common element among the very top salespeople who consistently crush their sales goals? It’s having a deep understanding of the customer’s business.
Think of it in this context: A consumer is considering taking his large family on a very complex African safari and they’ve got two referrals for luxury travel advisors from their friends at the country club.
Travel Advisor A takes them to lunch, opens his laptop and does a PowerPoint presentation on his agency and his experience in booking high-end trips. He’s got all of his certifications listed, the number of years he’s been doing this and toward the end he’s got several screens that show off lions and elephants with some sample, out-of-the-box itineraries.
Travel Advisor B is a curious soul. She researches this prospective customer by going back to the client who referred him to politely ask some top-line questions about them (she doesn’t want to stalk) and with that she’s also able to take a look at their Instagram and Facebook pages. Before the consult meeting, she e-mails the prospect, asking him about his likes and dislikes, what made him crazy about his last trip and what sparked joy.
For her meeting, Travel Advisor B has created a delightful presentation that focuses completely on the family that is traveling. She’s researched experiences that will appeal to each age group and added in some wow moments that the entire clan will enjoy together.
She has plenty to share about her own background and capabilities, which she’s put into the appendix of the presentation. She is leaving all this to the end and will use these slides for an FAQ, only because this meeting is not about her, it’s about the customer.
Needless to say, she wins the business for the safari and Travel Advisor A becomes a vague memory.
In comparison, it’s easy to see what Travel Advisor A did; he made the meeting all about himself. But he also wasted the client’s time by doing that and, in today’s world, that’s an egregious error.
It’s nearly 2020 and you’re setting new goals for the next decade. Here’s a list of some other things you can do to deliver positive results:
Don’t waste time with clients who will not spend on a luxury trip. These are the people who are constantly balking about price, even though you’ve repeatedly shown them the value of the experiences spending a bit more will deliver.
Keep your e-mails to clients brief and to the point. They’re likely going to read your message on their cellphone, and they don’t want to pour through massive paragraphs that you’ve copied and pasted from a supplier’s website describing their room, tour or flight.
Go out of your comfort zone. This means personally traveling to destinations you’re unsure about but that may interest your clients. When you come home, push your clients out of their comfort zones as well by challenging them to try a new experience they haven’t considered before.
Lastly, remain curious — about the world, of course, but mostly about your clients. Digging in deeper to learn about what makes them tick will make them incredibly loyal to you and you’ll likely earn a strong friendship from it as a result. And you might just crush those annual sales goals you’ve set for yourself in 2020.
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