Selling is no easy feat. In fact, only 29 percent of people want to get on the phone or talk directly to a sales person. Plus, 40 percent of sales people report that it's difficult for them to get a response from a prospect.
So, how can you successfully work for your ISO if people don’t want to talk to you, even before hearing your sales pitch?
You can’t argue with statistics like these. However, there are some big mistakes you can avoid and a few ways to improve your sales and communication skills to win the sale. Keep reading to find out more.
Avoid Bad Sales Techniques:
1. Don’t pitch your product right out of the gate.
The time to talk about the product you’re selling will come! If you open your pitch by raving about your amazing product and ignore what your prospects’ needs are, you’re not going to turn them into customers.
2. Don’t sweet-talk your prospects.
Smooth talking may have been a sales tactic of the past, but today's merchants will see through it. Focus on being realistic with your prospects instead.
3. Don’t push your way to a sale.
Hassling people until they give in and say "yes" isn’t going to get you the loyal customers you want. Spend more time building up merchant relationships by being helpful.
Build a Relationship with Your Prospects:
Customers are smart. They do their research, read reviews, and ask around before committing to a purchase. This means merchants will see right through your hard sells, even if you’re the most charismatic smooth-talker on the planet.
Instead of trying to hard sell your prospects, try these best sales practices to help you grow your sales skills and sell more:
1. Do your research.
Instead of winging conversations with merchants and talking up the product, find out from your ISO what your prospects’ pain points are. What do they struggle with day to day? What keeps them up at night? Then, figure out how the product you’re selling alleviates those pain points to make your prospects’ lives easier.
2. Build a rapport with merchants.
Once you’ve done your research, focus on having valuable conversations with your prospects. Rather than immediately launching into a sales pitch, get to know your prospects and talk to them about their day-to-day. Find out what they often struggle with or what they want to improve. This approach allows you to develop trust and relationships with merchants, which can lead to better sales and longer customer retention.
3. Listen and show empathy.
People respond best when they feel heard. They want to know that the person they’re talking to understands their needs and is empathetic towards their struggles. Ask engaging questions, spend time listening, and show that you genuinely care about your prospects’ lives.
4. Practice your sales pitch.
Eventually, you’re going to get to the point of the conversation where you talk about your product. Practice your sales pitch with friends and colleagues to ensure you sound knowledgeable and skilled. Look for natural transitions in your conversations so you aren’t just overwhelming merchants with information.
5. Engage with prospects on social media.
If you aren’t engaging with prospects on social media, you should be! Your target merchant audience is all over social media, so you need to meet them where they are. Engage your prospects on LinkedIn, and even consider trying other social channels like Facebook to start conversations.
Don’t forget how important it is to continue serving merchants even after you’ve closed a deal. Follow up with your customers regularly and keep building those merchant relationships. If you remain resourceful and valuable to your customers, you’ll be more likely to hit your retention goals.
Partner with the Right ISO
As an ISO Agent for EMS, your success is our success. Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS) supports prospective ISO agents and industry professionals as a leading provider in the payment processing & merchant services industry. We’re dedicated to providing you with the resources, tools, and customer service you need to reach your goals and build or expand your growing merchant network.
To to learn more about our ISO Agent program, click on the button below.
