Need Help. Anyone work in Sales? My interview tomorrow is 1 question.

[Zippy Chippy]

Can't believe im coming to PA to ask this question but everyone seems to be helpful/smart.

Being unemployed for the first time in my life, I was ecstatic to get a call today for a Sales Job (incoming calls only). The interview is tomorrow. I got a call from someone that works at the company in a different department. He told me "I heard the interview was one question. The question is, How would you close a sale?"

Anyone have a good tip for how to answer this? I obviously know what it means but I've been trying to put this in words and every way I try to explain how I'd close a sale it seems stupid. I desperately need this job.

FWIW this is a job that has to do w/ audio equipment.

TY

[JustRalph]

do a google search and read about the "7 Step selling cycle" there is a section on closing etc.........

I have taken the full course and it is very good.......

[Zippy Chippy]

do a google search and read about the "7 Step selling cycle" there is a section on closing etc.........

I have taken the full course and it is very good.......

Thanks!

[46zilzal]

Sales are very different depending upon the product. If you are selling medical office equipment or a used car, the methods are far different.

Differing products means a different approach as my mother was a great real estate agent and found out.

[Zippy Chippy]

Sales are very different depending upon the product. If you are selling medical office equipment or a used car, the methods are far different.

Differing products means a different approach as my mother was a great real estate agent and found out.

This is for audio equipment

[Saratoga_Mike]

Sales are very different depending upon the product. If you are selling medical office equipment or a used car, the methods are far different.

Differing products means a different approach as my mother was a great real estate agent and found out.

Mostly wrong. Detailing for a pharma company may be different than selling used cars, but successful salespeople all share similar traits.

Good luck Zippy.

[ArlJim78]

Tonight be sure to watch GlenGarry Glen Ross (Always be closing) lol


some thoughts from my experience supporting sales people;

first- know the product inside and out. If you can come across as an expert, providing genuine knowledge and not gimmicky blurbs from the brochure, you will earn respect and a reputation. earn their trust, and then the deal is as good as closed because they will want to buy from you. get them to come to you, to open up and talk freely. if you can you're in like flint.

second- don't come across as a salesmen with lame pitches. most people hate a pure sales approach. your knowledge and passion about the product will do the selling for you.

Good luck, hope you get the job.

[46zilzal]

Tonight be sure to watch GlenGarry Glen Ross

one of, if not the worst movie I ever had to watch. Pitiful ethics. pitiful people who were cowards

[bigmack]

one of, if not the worst movie I ever had to watch. Pitiful ethics. pitiful people who were cowards
Trumping all the pitifulness you outline is the exponential disgrace you couldn't figure out that Mamet wrote it as a commentary on peddlers. Did you say the same thing after you watched The Godfather, Death of a Salesman, Streetcar Named Desire and about 2000 other movies? Man you are obtuse.
____________________________________

Incoming phone sales are calling in for a reason. They already have interest in doing business with company or they wouldn't be calling. Closing a sale can't be more easy than with a inbound call center. Don't worry about not answering the question in a skillful manner. They know from your resume you have no sales experience. Any good call center worth anything will easily train you within a matter of days. gl

[ArlJim78]

one of, if not the worst movie I ever had to watch. Pitiful ethics. pitiful people who were cowards
just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any more dense.

[jballscalls]

just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any more dense.

it's funny because even though i think differently about politics and many other things with folks like bigmack or tom or PA himself, i really think that if we actually were to meet and sit down at the races, we'd get along swimmingly and have tons of laughs and stuff to talk about.

however with 46, i honestly don't feel that anyone would be able to hang out with him and enjoy themselves, because he seems to be opposite from everyone on everything LOL

[DJofSD]

Quick, get a hold of Don Draper.

[Jay Trotter]

Must we always digress.....

First off, my best advise would be don't count on that being the one and only question or you might go off the rails before you even get started if it turns out not to be the case. Be prepared!

Second, you know your dealing with audio equipment, so unless you are already well versed spend a couple hours tonight and a couple more tomorrow learning as much as possible about the subject matter -- at least enough to have an intelligent conversation.

Finally, it sounds like the "sales" thing might be a new area for you, so it's important to take your past successes and relate it to "closing a sale"! I've come to realize that everything we do in life is pretty much a sales job of some sort. Your selling yourself to attract a partner. Your selling yourself to find a job or get elected. Your selling your skill set in whatever you do.

So, take something you've accomplished in life -- that you are really proud of -- and lay out the steps of how you accomplished it. You identified the issue (the customer's need); you anylized possible courses of action (product options); you identified quality vs. price issues (value for the money); you were honest (with yourself & others); you closed (don't forget to close); and you followed up the situation (customer care).

A good company will identify good people regardless of their direct experience with their particular product and hire good, honest people, so be yourself first and foremost. Be confidant and relate to the interviewer how your life experiences might work to enhance his business.

Good luck!

Trotter:ThmbUp:

[DJofSD]

Audio equipment covers a lot of ground. Are you talking about public address type of equipment, or, high end A/V equipment for home use or entry level personal stereo stuff like iPod's or MP3 players?

People generally process information from one of three different perspectives: visually, audiably or tactally. Clues can be obtained depending upon the situation. But since you will be dealing with a stranger over the telephone, you'll have to assess there primary mode from the words they use. The idea is to create a subtle bond by using words that fall into the same area that is the primary perspective of the caller.

[Dave Schwartz]

I would say to the interviewer:

"I'd listen to what the caller had to say and ask myself, 'What must I say to close the sale?'"

[ArlJim78]

it's funny because even though i think differently about politics and many other things with folks like bigmack or tom or PA himself, i really think that if we actually were to meet and sit down at the races, we'd get along swimmingly and have tons of laughs and stuff to talk about.

no doubt about it. the differences are magnified 1000 times on here.

[Zippy Chippy]

Thx for the tips/advice everyone. Gonna get a good night sleep. I put in some time studying the product tonight.

If they like me in the interview i still have to pass a credit check :confused:

[Boris]

How would you close a sale?


Ask the customer to buy your product. Biggest mistake salespeople make is not to ask for the order.

[ArlJim78]

very true Boris, all good salepersons will tell you the same, you have to ask for the order.

[ElKabong]

You have to know your customers, and his/ her needs, Zippy.

from a customer's prospective (i'm a contract buyer, sit across a table from multiple salespersons each day), I'm looking for the following..

----is the Sales Rep knowledgeable of his product? (arl jim touched on this)
If not, the company sent me an amateur. Does that company not value my business? Or do they have an uneducated Sales force?

----Rate their product or service vs the competition
If you're selling a decent volume to a Buyer (not just a Purchaser), know that you're going to be measured via a matrix. Buyers have to answer WHY they spent a lot of the company's $, oftentimes before ink is dry or before a PO is emailed.

IOW, you need to know your competition and how you stack up. Don't be negative in your pitch when talking how you measure up to competition. That's a 3rd rail for salespeople. Focus on what you can do for your customer's company & make that your priority.

----Be a Rep/ salesperson that wants to make a customer. Not a sale
This is the biggest thing you can do. I could write a boring book about it. Business is all about relationships. I'm not talking about pal-ing around after work (that is another turn-off). I'm talking about having a sales person that treats me/ my company as a valued partner to their business, b/c whether I like it or not, that Rep/ salesperson is a partner to my business.

Be honest and straightforward.


Bunch more, but that's a nutshell. I have work instructions in our Quality Data System on selection of sources and vendors.....what I'm trying to tell you is, if you sell a decent volume to individual customers (whether it be now or in the future), be aware you're going to be measured as a supplier.

[Canadian]

I absolutely deplore sales... have no ability in it whatsoever... I worked at a call center once when I was 19...... selling newspapers..... I didn't sell one subcription in 3 hours... then I got up and walked out.... this after I basically budgeted my whole summer off this job.

Anyway, good luck...... good things are coming your way.... with or without this job.

[HUSKER55]

I have a need and I research it for about a month before I get off my ass and decide to do something about it.

That means you had better know off the top of your head more than I do about a specific thing I want that I have been studying for a month.

My suggestion:

listen to the customer (don't ignore me or you can laugh your self silly as me and my money walk out the door)
make sure your goods will fill the bill. (Know your product)
make sure there is customer support. (too much info up front can kill a deal.)
ask for the order

good luck

[pandy]

It sounds like you are interviewing for inside sales on the phone. I won several President Club awards (free trips) for inside sales. My answer would be, "I would do whatever it takes, and I'd make sure that I get at least 3 no's before moving on to the next call."

Closing is simple, when the customer says no, you keeping trying. I've gotten many sales after the customer assured me that he or she was not buying today. Sometimes I just changed the subject and asked them about their kids or something that had nothing to do with the product or service and the next thing you know I had a sale.

After the customer says no for the 4th time, you move on unless you have a feeling that you still have a shot, in which case you try again. From my experience, almost all top sales people have one thing in common, they don't give up easily.

[JustRalph]

I absolutely deplore sales... have no ability in it whatsoever... I worked at a call center once when I was 19...... selling newspapers..... I didn't sell one subcription in 3 hours... then I got up and walked out.... this after I basically budgeted my whole summer off this job.

Anyway, good luck...... good things are coming your way.... with or without this job.

I believe he said this was an inbound call center. totally different scenario. People are calling because they are interested in the product.

If you were in an "inbound" call center and after 3 hours you sold only one subscription.............you made the right choice

[pandy]

That's true, inbound isn't that hard, they are calling you. Qualifying can be very important. For instance, the first thing you want to flush out is, do they have a credit card? You'd be surprised, people actually call you who don't have either a credit or debit card and if you talk to them, you're wasting your time. If they don't qualify, you get rid of them asap and move on to the next call which could be someone who knows what they want and has the credit card handy. Time management is extremely important in sales. Most of the top sales people I've worked with were able to close quickly and move on to the next customer. This is key if you work in retail where 75% of your sales can be on Saturday. On busy days, you have to ask for the sale because if they ain't buying today, you've got to move on, get rid of them.

Outbound call centers are pretty much history because of the laws which prohibit telephone solicitation and no-call lists.

[Canadian]

I believe he said this was an inbound call center. totally different scenario. People are calling because they are interested in the product.

If you were in an "inbound" call center and after 3 hours you sold only one subscription.............you made the right choice


I actually didn't even read the part about him taking calls until I read it again. But no I could not work in a call center... inbound or outbound.

[pandy]

Unfortunately, inbound call centers in the U.S. are dwindling because many of them have been out-sourced. I lost two jobs due to out-sourcing and they were pretty good paying jobs with good benefits. This is something that Obama was going to address but hasn't. The Republicans something believe that out-sourcing is good for America, the old, "global economy" thing. I don't understand how companies hiring foreigners is good for us.

[WinterTriangle]

Finally, it sounds like the "sales" thing might be a new area for you, so it's important to take your past successes and relate it to "closing a sale"!

Transferrable skills. Any experience where you learned something or succeeded can become a parable for how you'll handle future challenges.

Be confident. And focussed and interested while interviewing. I usually judge people on innate traits like that when interviewing them, because teaching somebody with a can-do attitude is a piece of cake, I don't care what it is I have to teach them. If they are alert, interested, and can-do, then that's 1/2 the thing right there.

Ask intelligent questions, but be genuine.

Go get 'em, and good luck.

[Zippy Chippy]

Thanks everyone. I got the job. I know a call center isn't an ideal job right now, but its a job and I just have to do it til December and then maybe i can move around in the company. FWIW the company is BOSE so its atleast an interesting job. The interview went great.

[PhantomOnTour]

Congrats Zippy :ThmbUp:

I hope you didn't mention the horseplayer thing in the interview. I have found that to be a detriment.

[ArlJim78]

Good for you.:ThmbUp:

[JustRalph]

A win is a win! Congrats!

Remember, never be afraid to ask for the sale..........

Great product too.......good luck!

[pandy]

Way to go.

[Tom]

Zippy - :ThmbUp::ThmbUp:

[Canadian]

Thanks everyone. I got the job. I know a call center isn't an ideal job right now, but its a job and I just have to do it til December and then maybe i can move around in the company. FWIW the company is BOSE so its atleast an interesting job. The interview went great.


Your darn right it's a job. Congrats. So.... did they ask the question?