D2D Sales Tips

{1} Program Yourself for Success with NLP

Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a powerful technique salespeople can use to prime themselves for success in the field. NLP is based on the theory that the chain of cause and effect can be reversed, and that by visualising success in advance of our endeavours using specific methods, we can greatly enhance the effectiveness of our work. People who have written extensively in this area include Napoleon Hill, Tony Robbins and Morgana Rae – give it a try!

{2} Use Affinity for Confidence Building

Build customer confidence by expressing affinity with their tastes and preferences: car bumper stickers will often give you a good idea what sports team they support, or where they like to vacation. Work into the conversation how you’ve vacationed in the same place, how you watch the same sports team (but only if you have sufficient knowledge that your comments seem genuine). If their front yard is better kept than their neighbors’, comment on how good it looks – this will often help you close the sale earlier.

{3} Attract Interest with a ‘Triple Hook’ Pitch

What exactly is going to catch, and sustain the interest of a prospect whom you’ve never met before? The truth is, you can never know: best then to hedge your bets by working three ‘hooks’ into your sales presentation early in the discussion, like: ‘ABC Recycling cost 20% less per disposal than your current service provider, we collect 52 weeks per year, and because our bins are micro-chipped you won’t have to constantly visit your local store to buy bin tags’.

{4} Have the Customer Agree it’s a Good Deal!

The best way to close a sale is simply to get the customer to agree that what you’re offering is a good deal. In thus ‘assuming’ the sale you’re not only showing confidence in what you’re selling, but you’re getting around that natural sense of hesitation which prevents many sales being closed. Move swiftly on then to taking essential contract details, and finally reassure the new customer by leaving them your contact info to use should there be any problems.

{5} Create Your Own Shorthand Code

Save time and paper by creating a set of shorthand symbols by which you can record the result of a particular call. For instance, I use the Greek letter sigma (Σ) when I make a sale, recording the time of the interaction in the following way: Σ 2:11/5 – this meaning that I completed a sale at the said address in the hour between 2 and 3pm on the 5th of November. Likewise I use the symbol pi (Π) where I pitched without making a sale, and an upside-down A (V) where there was no answer at the door.

{6} Leave them with a Smile, Sell it in a While..

Sometimes a sale will be too hard won to be safe, or to be achievable with any sort of lasting customer goodwill. In these instances it is ultimately of far more worth to finish your pitch by humouring the customer, and leaving your cellphone number and email with them, and thus have a better chance of receiving a phoned-in, or online sale some time later. To maximise these ‘aftersales’ it’s vital to leave all your contact details in a clear, concise and readable format for the customer.

{7} Design your own Leave-Behind Brochure..

Your prospective customer should not only have your contact details, but also a summary of what you’re selling, including the cut-off date for any offer you’re doing. Arrange an attractive, simple brochure (hint: black-and-white is cheaper and more eye-catching these days than the multi-coloured glossy junk mail thronging our letterboxes) and bring a stock of at least 100 with you at the start of your day.

Find out even more tips for success in the comprehensive 72 page compendium of door selling techniques, Joy of Sales