How You Could Reskill For Sales and Business Development

Last updated 27 Oct 2016 . 7 min read

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Sales and Business Development is like the “lifeline” of any firm. Unless they get their hands dirty and bring on the business, it’s hard for the rest of the teams to survive. India is already undergoing a phenomenon change with its start-up evolution, however after seeding the idea and getting investor you need customers, the people who trust your idea and buy it! And that’s where Sales and Business Development team comes into the picture!

So, if you have been on a break or looking to hire someone good at or want to explore the area, here are the tips and tricks on what you should master to –

The Product Knowledge

I remember in one my previous firm one of the [newly hired] Sales executive went to visit the client. The client was happy with the demo and wanted to sign up, but he wanted the software to be compatible with Safari Browser, our Sales rep said a YES. However, when he spoke to the product team, he came to know that was the only limitation of the product.

The core is the product for Sales and Business Development, so make sure to have a thorough knowledge of

Features existing in current product
The plans
Limitations

Just for example – if you are into a cosmetic product, get familiar with the ingredients it has, the variations it offers, to whom it could be harmful, the way it has to be applied, shelf life, etc.

There is no course/training that could help you in learning product. The golden rules to gather product knowledge are –

Hands on exploring
Try to explore the product as a kid, bang it, break it, and take the less followed path.
Ask Questions [even if they sound dumb]
Prepare Notes
Think from Customer’s perspective, would he shell X money for this product unless you convince him?

Communication

Lee Iacocca said – You can have brilliant ideas but if you can’t get them across your ideas won’t get you anywhere.

That’s one of the reasons you need to have good communication skills. Some pointers that could help you –

Get command over a language
Know your audience.
Be ready with the Script before getting into a call/meeting.
Try to draft your script as you would tell a story i.e. to fill it with characters, expressions, pictures, videos and if possible special effects.
Be a listener, it shows that the communication is two-way.
Be attentive and shut down all distractions.
Keep it short and crisp, but it should still be impactful
Learn how to resolve conflicts, it's quite easy to get into arguments, so you need to know a way to resolve it calmly

Here are some of the courses that may help you – Storytelling | Preparing a successful presentation | Public Speaking| Speaking English on Phone, Meeting |Communication skill |Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management

Time Management

Sales and business development is not about sitting in an office and working 9-5. It involves a lot of travels, planned unplanned, frustration because the client is late or just as you reached venue he canceled the meeting. So you need to be an expert in managing time, here are some pointers –

Maintain a daily task list, even if you are not able to follow it religiously, it will help you ion tracking your tasks.
Use your commute time to make calls, Check/reply emails or stay up to date with latest news/trends
Learn to say NO to fewer priority tasks
Always have a backup plan ready, in case client does not turn up on time, what you could do.
Here is quick course that could also prove handy - Work Smarter not harder

Learn Body Language

If you master the art of understanding the body language, that will offer you an extra leap in your career of Sales and Business Development. Not many people are straightforward, and even though they nod their head with a YES, their body language may tell you the opposite.

Here is one of the courses that could be of great help – The Secrets of Body Language

The Art of Selling

Now that you have mastered the prerequisites’ [mentioned above] and you have a meeting scheduled with a client. What next? The Art of Selling! Believe it or not, from the day we started understanding this world we started selling ourselves, be it a kid who tries to impress the guests with his lovely poem or a teenager who stun his friends when he wins in a tennis tournament. Or the first interview or first date where you only talk about “How good I am,” so indeed -Selling is in our blood!

If you still have doubts, go for a course just to brush up – Mastering the Selling Process

Deal Closure Techniques

You got a verbal commitment, but what matters is when the deal is signed and on paper. Hence, it’s vital for you to know the techniques to get a commitment on paper and close the deal. Experts have recommended ‘n’ number of deals here, here and here, but the bottom line is if your product addresses their problems, is within budget and most importantly you were able to strike a rapport with them the deal is sure to be CLOSED.

Engagement Post Deal Closure

Your job is not yet done, as maintaining a healthy relation even after the deal is signed is important. It could help you getting new references, recommendations, and even more business opportunities’. Some of the tips to follow –

Schedule monthly meetings to get feedback or know the improvement areas
Get suggestions on how things could be improved – process wise and product wise.
Get concerns noted and rectified, to gain trust on services.

Remember it's hard to reach to an individual’s pockets, but it's easy to reach to their heart and brain! Go on explore the world of sales! Happy #Reskilling ?

Samiksha Seth

Samiksha Seth is a day dreamer by choice,an avid blogger, Reiki practitioner,firm believer of "Keep Faith", loves exploring and crafting experiences into words. She is a mother of a toddler and has resigned from her full time IT job, just to be with her child and take up her passion for writing.

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