Any advice for a sales novice?

Question

I have just started a job in sales at the wholesale level (two steps removed from the general public). I have a bachelor's in chemistry, so my job will be somewhat technical as well. I am, however, new to sales and was wondering if any sales people out there have any advice to share.

Answer 1

Your background is definately not holding you back - you managed to sell the most important thing, namely yourself.

I have been in sales for several years and though a lot comes natural I could advise you to spend extra time on the following things:

1) Know your product(s) inside out - not only good for answering any possible queries, it improves your confidence when dealing with people as well.

2) Organise your progress - make sure to keep proper documentation of your progress in any sales lead or contacts you make. You can do it via a database provided by your company, or create an Excel sheet yourself. This also includes sorting your email inbox out - sorting it per sector or even client. This will not only help you to keep track of your dealings, it also ensures you cover yourself when something goes awry. Always ensure you got copies of all documents you send.

3) Manage your internal contacts - in case you have any troubles, there are always people working around you that might know the answer. Mutual respect goes a long way - so be willing to help others as well.

4) If your job is client-facing as well, make sure you network properly. It's not always easy to be nice to everyone, but remember there are different sorts of friendships and you don't need to spend time with them privately. If you are lucky and contacts are friendly, make sure to initiate occassional contact even if it is just to ask how they are or wish them merry christmas or something.

It's just some thoughts, hope it is of any assistance.

Answer 2

Having spent a large portion of my working life in some area of sales, the best advice I can give you is to be extremely knowledgeable about your product and to provide excellent service.

Trust and quality are the two most important things any customer wants. A customer, whether it's the public or a business wants to feel comfortable working with their sales rep and to be able to trust him or her. Plus, a customer wants to feel reassured that they will be helped every step of the way and will have any questions or issues resolved quickly and satisfactorily.

Answer 3

Hey there!
First of all, congratulations! Second, I wanted to find out if you are selling to distributors, who are then reselling your product, or if you sell completed to them, for them to resell.

If you can find some other industries that offer complementary services, then you can partner with their sales reps to cover more territory.
Another Idea is to look at a successful account that your company has, and learn everything you can about that sale, and that company, and what their return has been on the investment that they made with your product, then look at other companies who are similar to that one, and you have a referenceable story, which builds your credibility.
The biggest thing is cold calling. . . it sucks, but you have to do it- just remember that the next call you make isn't MORE annoyed because you have been making calls all morning. . they don't know if they are your first or last call. Finally, you can think of 50 million ways to put off calling- I know, I've done it. .. . ultimately, you have to make those calls. . .
You can email me if you want to, and I'll be glad to help.

Answer 4

So what made you change from chemistry to sales? I thought Chemistry was a good field.

Answer 5

Show up with bad breath, frown a lot, and be an introvert.