Being a saleswoman can be a highly rewarding and lucrative career, regardless of what you’re selling. For many women, it’s empowering to be in charge of their own products, set their own hours, and run their product demos in a manner that they see fit. Typically, these sales jobs do not require degrees, but dedication instead. If you’re a saleswoman, or interested in becoming one, consider yourself on your first step towards entrepreneurship. Here are five surefire ways to rock your saleswoman job:
Educate the Customer
It’s important that you don’t confuse “giving a product demo” with “educating the customer.” These are two completely different things, and both are necessary. When you educate a customer, you actually help them understand not only how to use your product, but why they need it and how it works.
When presenting a product or service, salespeople have to ask themselves, “do these customers actually know anything about how this can help them. As a salesperson, it’s your job to educate the customer well beyond the product or service demo.
Be Confident In Your Appearance
When you’re tasked with being the face of a product of service, it’s not uncommon to feel bothered during meetings. And studies have that inner confidence is closely linked with physical appearance. To be clear, this doesn’t mean you should be expected to conform to the normal standard of cliche Photoshopped appearances—instead, you should work towards health and beauty goals that make YOU feel good, even if they aren’t traditional by nature. For example, opting for healing cream will help your skin feel and look good, and when you feel good in your skin, anything is possible.
Create A Powerful Product Demo
Your first product demo can be very nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t consider yourself an extrovert or a traditional “salesperson.” And if you aren’t confident in the product or service, this process can feel like a job you don’t want to have — which means it will show during your demonstrations. But the key to giving a great product demonstration is catering it to your audience, rather than catering the audience to the product.
If you take a look at some of the best business speakers, you’ll find that what many of them have in common is that they have a deep understanding of who their audience is and how they can reach them. For example, the way you approach a product demo when speaking to a single mom differs from when speaking to a businessman. Keep a log of different type of customers and how you believe you can best appeal to them. Do your research; watch business and TED talks to better understand buyer psychology. As you conduct more product demos and meet with different types of people, build out your demo notebook to create a comprehensive guide of what’s worked and what hasn’t.
Use Social Media
Social media can be a powerful sales tool if used correctly. A recent Nielson report found that the average American spends 3x more time on social media channels than reading email. With that statistic in mind, social media has huge audience potential. Tools like Spaces allow you to create on-page shopping carts that eliminate the long checkout process found in many ecommerce stores. The easier it is to purchase, the more likely they are to convert. Other tools like Shopial allow you to sell directly from your social pages.
Social advertising can also be very helpful, and powerful Facebook ad tools make it easy to hone in on your target market. You’re able to target ads based on a wide variety of key factors, like age, education, interests, occupation, and more. And of course, using social channels allows you to create a dialogue where people feel most comfortable talking, and where you’re more likely to increase visibility.
Host Events
As a salesperson, hosting events is a great way to show off those product demonstrations and educate people on your product or service. These events allow you to build upon high-impact strategies for reaching your target market face to face. Have an organized plan without creating an event that feels too structured or stifled. And of course, incorporate elements that allow your guests to have fun.
Give the event a specific angle. For example, you might want to call it a “Launch Party” if it’s your first time, and use phrases like “support my business” in social advertising and outreach. Be prepared to offer something of value. This could be free product, discounts, a goody bag, or a combination of these things. Create dialogue among your guests with ice breakers or games, and let your story be the foundation for dialogue. After all, you’re not just selling a product — you’re selling yourself.
You can also partner up with other salespeople to host events together, thereby creating an immersive experience that focuses on several areas. For example, if one of your friends sells makeup, maybe you’d want to partner with another person who sells hair products and another person who focuses on wellness for the skin.
The Art of the Follow-Up
A successful follow-up can help you score with customers that may have otherwise slipped away. This is why it’s so important to follow up with your leads after you’ve introduced them to your products. If left alone after a product demo, chances are that they’ll do nothing — even if they are actually interested. Your follow-up should focus on two key areas: giving them additional information, and answering any questions they might have. This is also your chance to entice them with a good deal. Develop a lead management system and standardize your follow-up process. This will ensure that you never forget to reach out to someone after you’ve met them.