8 Tips to Sell a Product to Anyone In-Person and Online

If you’re new to in-person sales, you might struggle to find the best way to approach a lead and give them a sales pitch. In-person sales are nerve-wracking and require some smooth skills to snag a sale. Some people are born with expert sales skills, but for those who were not, you can study and practice various tips to make your in-person selling experience a success.

When it comes to selling online, you might fall into the trap of trying to sell too many things to everyone instead of focusing on one area you can sell to a target market. You might also have difficulty turning your site visitors into sales because you haven’t optimized your website to increase conversions. Thankfully, you can follow a couple of tips to create or change your website to convert at a higher rate.

How to Sell a Product to Anyone In-Person

• Build Rapport

Before you can sell a product in person, you need to build rapport with your potential customer. Get to know them by listening to everything they say. You should always listen more than you talk and take everything the customer says into account when you’re formulating your sales tactics. However, it would help if you also tell the customer a little about yourself to build a relationship or rapport with them. Give them anecdotes about your life that match what the customer is telling you about theirs.

• Ask Questions

While you’re building rapport and after — when you’re doing your sales pitch — don’t forget to ask questions. The more you learn from the customer, the better you can tailor your pitch to their needs and wants. Ask questions that tell you what the customer’s problem is and what they’re looking for in a solution. After you ask questions, try repeating the answers in your sales pitch. If the customer tells you what they want in a solution, repeat that answer when you describe your product.

• Keep it Personal

Each of your leads is a person, and you need to treat them as such. Keep your entire interaction personal — from the first email to the last interaction. When you’re drafting emails, ask yourself if you would enjoy receiving it. If not, go back and write it again, and this time add the personal touch. When you’re meeting them in person, be professional but also personable.

• Keep it Simple

Don’t over complicate the sales process. Your customer already has a busy life outside of the sale, so if you make the buyer’s journey more like work than pleasure, you might lose them. No one wants to jump through hoops to buy a product. Make it easy and keep it simple.

How to Sell a Product to Anyone Online

• Find a Niche

Start every sales process by meeting a specific need. Your product should have a niche or be something that appeals to a small portion of the population. Sell a product that few people offer so that you can make a name for yourself and those people who want or need your product, come to you first. Having a niche might sound limiting, but instead, it opens you to greater success.

• Provide Details

For every product that you list, you also need to include ample details. Make sure that your customers can see everything they want to know about the item on the product page. Your item descriptions should be in-depth, detailed, and include all pertinent information like size or color. Before you add something to your website, look at the description with the eyes of a customer, and ask yourself whether you want more information.

• Create Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is one of the best ways to prompt a sale. Many websites are already doing this and seeing great results. You can add a limited-time deal to your page or popular items. Try putting a pop-up ad on your page with a countdown timer to the end of the sale. You don’t have to end the deal when the timer ends — the goal is to create a sense of urgency and not have a few short sales.

• Capture Emails

Before a customer leaves your website, you need to capture their email. This is especially true for customers who buy something. The best way to continue selling after a sale, or to make the first sale is to set up a newsletter you send to an email list. It doesn’t have to be a newsletter; you can also send sales announcements. Whatever you plan to send to your customers, make sure that you get their permission before sending even one email. You cannot email a customer without their consent.