Export sales: 5 guidelines that apply at home and overseas

Do you want to become more succesful in sales? The key element is that you ensure that you know exactly which trigger makes your customer decide to choose your product or service. Your success in sales depends on what your customer or prospect tells you. Below you will find five internationally applicable golden rules to use in your sales conversations.

1. Keep your mouth shut and listen carefully

Your knowledge is meaningless for the customer, unless he or she needs your information.  Ask questions, listen and do not interrupt the other. Also wait quietly until the customer or prospect has finished talking (the force of silence). Tip: When you talk prematurely, you do not only run the risk of not fully understanding the customer, but also of interrupting his thought process. Talking too early adheres another risk: you might take a position too early. That could be a source of complaints and protests.

2. Problems are opportunities

When everything runs smoothly with a client or prospect, than he or she has no vendor need. His or her problems are in fact your opportunities. Look for the problems of your customers. Search precisely for those problems you can solve with your products or services. That way you are able to prove the value of your product or service. The customer will recognize its value and necessity.
Tip: Prepare the questions you need to ask to properly detect those problems for which you can provide a solution

3. Relationships are important

Especially in more complicated sales processes, a good relationship with your customers is very important. You do business with people, not companies. Always strive to strengthen your relationship with the customer. Key to your success is the contribution that you deliver to the success of your customer. Tip: Keep things fresh. Come up with new ideas. Do not bother your customers with old worn solutions. Surprise your customers with insights. Things they have not thought of. A surprising idea is much more valuable than, say, a gift.

4. Learn to understand the motives of your prospect or customer

Ask yourself again and again: what are the underlying motives for this customer? What does he/she achieve in work or in live? And how does he or she want to achieve his/her ambitions? Tip: Don't train yourself how to sell better, but teach yourself how to understand the needs of your client better

5. Learn from your mistakes

Mistakes are no problem. Making the same mistakes again and again is not a good idea. Selling is a tough profession. You learn by doing. You build sales experience by conducting sales conversations.

Practice with colleagues difficult situations. Go as long until it becomes second nature. Go on stage occasionally together with your colleagues. Watch how they do it. You can learn a lot from each other! After each sales conversation ask yourself the following questions:
- What did I do well?
- What could I do better?

Tip: Do sales conversations in real life and put yourself at a higher level by actively applying these golden rules. By doing so you will improve yourself step by step. Eventually you will be unstoppable with regard to your sales success!