Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 37

Demonstrate Active Listening

If you’re meeting with a prospect and you want to put your best foot forward, you must not only ask the right questions, but also listen carefully to what you’re hearing in response. A smart sales professional looks at the person who is speaking, doesn’t interrupt, and acknowledges what the speaker said and incorporates it into a response. 

Look and Listen

I’ve often mentioned why you should talk less and listen more in the sales setting. Today, I’d like to share a story that emphasizes the importance of also looking at your prospect when he or she is speaking:

How to Get a "Yes!" to Your Proposal

Why might your prospect be willing to say “yes” to taking on a proposed energy solution? Is it about saving energy? Saving money? Saving carbon? Something else?

Bundling Products and Services

Every efficiency-related product or service has a direct benefit for the consumer. However, true sales professionals take the next step, transcending those direct benefits and highlighting the additional positive impacts. Take foam weather stripping, for example. The most obvious benefit of foam weather stripping is a warmer home. Are you going to close a sale every time by telling your prospect that your product will result in a warmer home? Probably not.

Connect the Dots

Every efficiency-related product or service has a direct benefit for the consumer. However, true sales professionals take the next step, transcending those direct benefits and highlighting the additional positive impacts. Take foam weather stripping, for example. The most obvious benefit of foam weather stripping is a warmer home. Are you going to close a sale every time by telling your prospect that your product will result in a warmer home? Probably not.

Hug Your Customers

You may recall a blog I wrote titled, “The Significance of Repeat Customer”. In this blog, I discussed the importance of turning to your existing customer base when looking for new business opportunities. In order to fully leverage the power of “the customer,” however, you first need to ensure that you have great rapport with each and every one of them and that they are fully satisfied with the work you’ve already done for them.

Weekly Recap, April 2, 2023

Here are our sales-enhancing tips from this week's Selling Energy Blogs...

What Is Your Inner Scorecard?

Recently Warren Buffett shared his most prized advice for living a happy life: “Your inner scorecard is more important than your outer scorecard.” 

Keep a Positive Attitude

There’s a significant correlation between positive attitude and sales performance. If you look at sales performance data, you’ll probably notice that people are most likely to make a new sale immediately after they’ve just made one. Why does this happen? Because a successful sale boosts your general outlook and attitude, and that emotional lift makes you a more effective sales professional.

Why Should They Care?

Why should your prospects care about an energy solution?  What messages would pique their interest enough to have the conversation?