Be Relevant: The Simple Secret to Sales Success
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In the world of sales, advice often comes in many forms. From cold calling techniques to email marketing strategies, the sea of sales advice can be overwhelming and, frankly, a waste of your time.
The implementation of CRM, ERP, and definitely connecting all that data through a data integration platform such as Commercient SYNC, are key to keep track of how sales are performing, how customers buy, and much more.
However, let’s not forget sales success requires going back to the basics, mastering one simple skill: Being relevant.
Relevancy is Key
Sales is not about shoving a product down someone’s throat or sending countless emails that end up ignored or deleted. It’s about being relevant. Relevancy means different things for every deal. While you may talk to people of a similar persona, different things matter to different people. And frankly, people are just different. To be relevant, you need to read the room. Discover what matters to that person and tailor your conversation to be directly relevant.
Forget the Script
Forget the script. The script isn’t relevant. Instead, ask open-ended questions. Get people talking. When people talk, you can discover what really matters to them. Then, as a salesperson, you take the knowledge of your product and make it relevant.
A True Story on Relevancy
Let me share a true story to illustrate the power of being relevant. I was evaluating software for our company. After a few weeks of the sales process working with a team of people to sell the software, we just didn’t see enough value in the product to move forward. So, I sent the dreaded email: “We are not moving forward.”
I got two responses. One response was long, wordy, and general. It was flat out boring. I didn’t even read the whole thing, to be honest. It was a template and it was a waste of time to read. The next email was succinct, maybe three sentences total, and it was directly relevant to me. It had no fluff. Thinking back, there may not have even been a greeting. But none of that matters. The message mattered to me. It resulted in a closed-won sale for that company. And it all boiled down to being relevant.
How to Be Relevant
- Read the Room: Pay attention to the cues and signals your prospects are giving you. What are their pain points? What do they value most?
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: These questions encourage your prospects to share more about their needs and desires. Examples include:
- “Can you tell me more about the challenges you’re facing?”
- “What are you trying to achieve?”
- Listen Actively: Don’t just hear—listen. Understand what your prospects are truly saying and identify what matters to them.
- Tailor Your Message: Use the insights gained from your conversation to tailor your message. Show how your product or service addresses their specific needs.
- Be Concise and Direct: When following up, keep your communications short and to the point. Highlight the aspects of your offering that are most relevant to them. One of the biggest mistakes I see is people trying to give every bit of information they have to a prospect. It is overwhelming. After opening one or two things from you that don’t actually resonate with the prospect, you become spam. Don’t be SPAM! Be relevant and intentional in everything you do.
Conclusion
In the end, sales success is not about the number of calls made or emails sent. It’s about being relevant. When you are relevant, you connect with your prospects on a deeper level, addressing their unique needs and concerns.
So, the next time you step into a sales meeting or draft an email, remember: Be relevant. It’s the simple secret and the single thing that will directly impact your sales the most in 2024.
Let us handle the complexities of data integration so you can focus on what you do best—managing your finances and driving business growth.
