---
title: "A Seasoned Sales Veteran's Practical Insights: Better Than 10 Sales Training Sessions"
description: "1. When chatting with clients, salespeople should avoid excessive technical and theoretical topics; instead, focus on current news, weather, etc. Therefore, salespeople must regularly read books and magazines on economics and sales, especially daily newspapers, to stay informed about national and social news, which often serve as the best conversation starters, preventing them from appearing ignorant or shallow. 2. Regarding the four hours in the evening for salespeople: a salesperson's success largely depends on how they spend those four hours."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2015-10-15"
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# A Seasoned Sales Veteran's Practical Insights: Better Than 10 Sales Training Sessions

> 1. When chatting with clients, salespeople should avoid excessive technical and theoretical topics; instead, focus on current news, weather, etc. Therefore, salespeople must regularly read books and magazines on economics and sales, especially daily newspapers, to stay informed about national and social news, which often serve as the best conversation starters, preventing them from appearing ignorant or shallow. 2. Regarding the four hours in the evening for salespeople: a salesperson's success largely depends on how they spend those four hours.

1. When chatting with clients, salespeople should not spend too much time on technical and theoretical topics; instead, they need topics like today's news, weather, etc.
Therefore, in daily life, salespeople must read more books and magazines on economics and sales, especially reading newspapers every day to understand national and social news and major events. These often make the best conversation topics, so when visiting clients, we won't be seen as ignorant or shallow.
2. Regarding the four hours in the evening for salespeople.
A salesperson's success largely depends on how they spend those four hours in the evening. The worst salespeople just watch TV, complain, or go out to play. Such salespeople have no future. Average salespeople go out to entertain clients, drinking and chatting. These salespeople may get orders, but personally, I think it's hard for them to achieve great success. Better salespeople organize materials, analyze clients, and make plans in the evening. Such salespeople are good and have a promising future. The best salespeople, I believe, after doing the work of a good salesperson, also insist on reading for an hour. I think such salespeople are very promising and may have the opportunity to become bosses later.
3. Regarding the salesperson themselves.
Many people think that salespeople should be tall, handsome, and charming. Salespeople must have good eloquence, be able to talk, and be able to talk convincingly. Salespeople must smoke, always carry cigarettes, and hand them out to everyone. Salespeople must be able to drink, whether it's white liquor or beer, and never get drunk. Actually, I feel these are not important. Personally, I am less than 160cm tall. When I first started in sales, I felt very inferior, and my speech was not fluent, let alone eloquent. I never smoked, and I could drink at most one bottle of beer; more than that, I would get drunk. But diligence can compensate for clumsiness. When I first started in sales, in Huizhou, for the first three months, I took a few clothes and went to my brother's factory in Dongguan for several days at a time. I went from one industrial area to another. In this way, I walked for three months, and I managed to get a few clients, but I also wore out a pair of leather shoes, and my skin turned as dark as charcoal. Now I run my own factory. I often tell salespeople that the first three months are a non-human life, but once you endure it, it's fine. So the salesperson's office is outside the factory.
About finding clients
When you first join a company, the first three months are the most critical for testing whether a salesperson can succeed. These three months can affect the salesperson's future sales work. The first issue is how to find clients. Generally, a new salesperson, after about a week of product knowledge, needs to find clients to visit. If there is no client resource provided by the sales manager or boss, you can find clients through the following methods.
1. Yellow Pages. Generally, companies have many yellow pages, such as the "Guiyang Information Yellow Pages." We can find our original target clients according to the categories. Now Guiyang also has many professional industry yellow pages, such as home appliance yellow pages, toy yellow pages, etc. Salespeople should find such yellow pages to collect first-hand information. These yellow pages are usually available in large libraries. You can take a notebook and copy them there.
2. Browse recruitment advertisements.
For example, in Guiyang, the "Guiyang Evening News" has a large number of recruitment ads every day, and the "Guizhou Metropolis Daily" also has recruitment ads every day. We can obtain the clients we want by reading recruitment ads. We can also go to nearby recruitment markets. Generally, recruitment markets post the names of recruiting companies and the types of jobs at the entrance. We can analyze what they do based on the jobs they are recruiting for, thus finding the clients we need. We can also go around large industrial areas. Now almost all factories are recruiting, and we can find them through their recruitment ads at the entrance. We can also browse recruitment websites, such as Zhuobo Recruitment Network.
The advantage of finding clients from recruitment ads is that first, you can find many new clients because many new factories have just opened or moved. If we find them first, we have a head start. Also, factories that can recruit a large number of workers are generally doing well, which gives us some confidence in the recovery of payments after the business is successful.
3. Internet search.
We can search by keywords. For example, enter the name of the product our target client produces on Baidu, and we can find a large number of clients. We can also find clients through professional websites, such as Alibaba, HC360, etc. This way, we can find many client lists. We can also find the boss's mobile number and name.
4. We should also often go out on the street to find clients. When I go shopping, I usually go to home appliance stores. They have packaging or brand and company names. We can record them and search online later. We can judge a client's business situation by the sales of products in the store. This also reflects their economic strength from the side.
5. But personally, I think the best way to find clients is through mutual introduction in social networks. In the future, business will be about resource sharing. For example, you make wires, I make plugs, and he makes resistors. We all serve the same audio client. If we can share resources and introduce good clients to each other, it becomes very easy and worry-free to get in. Moreover, because we all watch each other, if the client shows any sign of trouble, we can be on guard, reducing the risk.
6. Another best method is client referrals, which has the highest success rate. A skilled salesperson, after having a few initial clients, will serve them well and become friends with them. Once familiar, they will ask them to introduce peers or friends. At this point, you don't just ask for a list; you can find lists anywhere. The most important thing is to ask them to make a phone call for you. If they make a referral call for you, it's better than you making 100 calls. After that, you mainly serve the clients they introduce, and then similarly ask the new client to introduce others, so you can easily build your client network.
So there are many ways to find the clients we want, as long as we are attentive. A salesperson should always carry three things with them, except when showering: a pen, a small notebook, and business cards. People say salespeople have eight eyes, which makes sense. If you pay attention everywhere in life, you can find many business opportunities.
About making phone calls
After finding clients, the second issue is how to call and make appointments. There are some details to note.
1. Many people encounter this situation when calling. The client hangs up before finishing the introduction, saying "No, no," and then hangs up. Or when you say you want to visit, they say they are busy and ask you to fax materials or leave them at the security guard's office. We must not fax materials or leave them at the security booth; it's useless. At first, I was frustrated, but later I thought, maybe the purchasing lady was scolded by the boss today, so she refused me, or maybe she had a fight with her boyfriend, so she ignored me. It's okay, I'll try again next time. Many of my clients were only met after many calls. Sometimes it's strange; yesterday the purchasing lady said no, but today if you call again, she might let you bring samples to see her. So the success of business often depends on whether you persist.
2. No matter how skilled your sales techniques are, I think it's better to think about what to say before calling, rather than just picking up the phone and chatting. Because we might forget some content while talking, and often have to call again right after hanging up. It's not good for anyone. For new salespeople, it's best to write it down on paper. This way, you can speak more clearly.
3. I think it's better to stand while making calls because when standing, I feel more focused and serious. Also, when standing, you have more energy, and your voice sounds better. Try it if you don't believe me. No matter how angry you are, you should smile when making calls. This makes the atmosphere more relaxed, and the client can feel it. Sales is a job that involves being upset, but our clients don't need to share that with you.
4. We should not wait until we need something from the client to call them. We should call them regularly to chat or just say hello. Until they recognize my voice as soon as they hear it. It's best to make them think of you. Sales is like falling in love. We can't expect someone to marry you after just one date. Purchasers are forgetful; we need to constantly remind them.
Initial client visits
1. Preparation and planning before sales calls are crucial and should not be neglected. Being prepared ensures success. Prepare samples, catalogs, pens, notebooks, etc. Before meeting a client, think about your opening remarks, questions to ask, what to say, and possible answers. Usually, you must study and memorize materials related to the company's products, instructions, advertisements, etc., and also collect competitors' ads, promotional materials, and instructions to research and analyze, so as to "know yourself and know your enemy."
2. Be punctual—being late means "I don't respect your time." There is no excuse for being late. If you cannot avoid being late, you must call ahead to apologize before the agreed time. I believe leaving early is the only way to avoid being late.
3. Clothing doesn't make the man, but 90% of the first impression is based on clothing. Etiquette, appearance, speech, and manners are the sources of good or bad impressions in interpersonal interactions. Sales representatives must put effort into these areas. I don't like my salespeople wearing red or green T-shirts to meet my clients. I at least require a shirt. Also, the briefcase must be leather.
4. We cannot close a deal with every client we visit; we should strive to visit more clients to increase the closing percentage. When visiting clients, we should follow the principle: "Even if you fall, grab a handful of sand." This means a sales representative should not return empty-handed. Even if the client you visit has no immediate need and cannot close, you should find a way to get them to introduce a new client.
5. For clients, always pay attention to their favorite topics and hobbies. If they like something, talk more about it. Observe their every move. Then you can cater to their preferences. The result of the conversation is not important; the atmosphere during the process is important. When chatting with purchasers, we often focus on the content and complain about having no topics. Actually, we should pay attention to the process and atmosphere. If we have a pleasant and harmonious chat, our relationship will become closer. Many days later, we often forget what we talked about, only remembering that we had a good chat. It's the same for purchasers. We have price lists for prices, quality approval documents for quality, and we stamp and sign delivery schedules. So we just need to talk about things outside of business; it's best to talk about what interests them.
How to maintain clients
1. Salespeople should fish, not cast a net. The most effective and comfortable way to do business is the fishing method. Just like when we first chase a girl, do we chase several at once and hope one succeeds? We usually pick one and pursue her persistently until success. I do business this way. I choose an industry, like the earphone industry, and pick about 3 companies to seriously attack until I get in. After that, others become easier. Once I have 80% share in the earphone industry, I move to another industry and replicate it. It's like fishing: aim for the big ones, catch them one by one, very comfortable. Be bold, careful, and thick-skinned. When we were young, chasing girls, older people told us the experience: bold, careful, and thick-skinned. Actually, doing business is like chasing a girl.
2. It is estimated that 80% of business is completed due to relationships. Competition is fierce now. With the same quality, price, and service, to outcompete your rivals, you have to rely on relationships. If you treat clients more attentively than your competitors and become friends with them, who can take your orders? So where you spend your time is what you get. Therefore, relationships are a treasure.
3. Be enthusiastic; enthusiasm can infect clients. Many salespeople may be very enthusiastic at first, but after achieving some results, they become slick and lose their former enthusiasm. Sometimes it feels like orders become harder. You may lose one deal due to excessive enthusiasm, but you will lose a hundred deals due to insufficient enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is far more infectious than sweet talk.
4. There must be a trial period. Getting a client is like getting married. Finding a client is like finding a dream lover. From making phone calls to placing orders is as long as from sending love letters to engagement. After the actual marriage, you still need to finish the honeymoon before settling into serious life. So we also need a honeymoon with clients. We shouldn't start too big. Marriages based on love at first sight are hard to maintain after the novelty wears off. We should give both the client and ourselves some time to examine each other's credit, service, etc.
About closing deals
1. Many salespeople, when starting out, are full of drive. They find clients, send samples, quote prices, and then don't know what to do, often wasting all previous efforts. Actually, you should keep asking them, "When will you place the order?" Keep asking until you get a result. In fact, purchasers are waiting for us to ask. The crying child gets milk. If a child doesn't cry, how do we know they are hungry? So we need to ask clients to buy. However, 80% of salespeople never ask for the order.
2. If the deal is not closed, the sales representative should immediately schedule the next meeting date with the client. If you can't schedule the next meeting when face-to-face, it will be even harder to meet again later.
3. My feeling is that in sales, you must persist in tracking, tracking, and re-tracking. If completing a business task requires 5 to 10 contacts with the client, then you must endure to the 10th contact at all costs. Listen for buying signals—if you listen attentively, when the client has decided to buy, they usually give hints. Listening is more important than speaking.
Doing business is a series of activities aimed at closing deals. Although closing is not everything, without closing, there is nothing.
About collecting payments
1. Don't be too concerned about face in sales. After the business is done, when it's time to collect payments, many people think, "I'm so familiar with the purchaser; it's embarrassing to chase them every day." So they rarely chase, or give up after a few attempts. But we only get commissions when we receive the payment. Debt repayment is natural and justified. If you let them owe too much, your business won't last long. When I collect payments, I don't beg them to arrange it; I say, "Mr. So-and-so, arrange the payment for Wednesday, and I'll come to pick it up that afternoon." Sometimes they say that day isn't possible, so I say, "Then Tuesday," and they often say Wednesday is fine.
2. For yourself, before working with a client, you should carefully understand everything about them. For example, who they did business with before, i.e., who your competitors are. Knowing this allows you to quote and make countermeasures. Understand why the client wants to do business with you. If others are unwilling to supply them, then you can ask for cash. They will definitely default. If it's due to competitors' issues, such as poor quality, high prices, or bad service, you can make corresponding countermeasures. If it's because you do something better than competitors, then you know what to do in the future.
3. The best way to prevent clients from delaying payment is to investigate before closing the deal. We must carefully examine all information about the client, including their employees' wage levels, whether wages are paid on time, whether the factory is owned or rented, where the boss is from, and whether the products are sold domestically or exported. It's best to know some of the client's old suppliers so you can ask them about the client's creditworthiness.
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