People have been trying to sell their goods, services and advice for centuries, but most salespeople end up with fewer sales than they want. A main issue is a reliance on ineffective sales techniques or a lack of sales training altogether.

One of the most prevalent issues is an absence of listening abilities and the belief that your sales presentation will close the deal. This despite the fact that the best sales coaches have preached reflective listening skills as the best way to close the deal for decades. The reality is that most people like to talk about themselves, including, likely, you. But the best advice we give at sales tips salt lake city is to just shut up and pay attention to your prospects' feelings and motivators.

Here are a few ideas on basic sales training for you to try in your own selling and that you can share with your team to make your whole company more profitable. Let's go over them one by one.

The best thing you can do, however, is to think about your prospects. Do they know they could use your product or service or are they having a problem you can solve? What other products are available and how well are they working? Have these answers before you begin.

Now it's time to start hearing your customers. Think about this:

• Know what they want In addition to listening to the client says he or she needs, find out what the true motivations are. Often, this means boosting the bottom line but it can also mean something like improving inventory control, reducing worry and more.
• Repeat or rephrase what the client is saying. Known as reflective listening, this technique lets the client know you are truly hearing what they say, that you care about it and are thinking about it, and that you are understanding accurately. Furthermore, this technique clarifies what they expect from you.
• Find out what your customers really need. If they are OK with their solutions to the problem you are hoping to solve, learn more. If not, find out how you can do better. If they are only interested in parts of what you're offering, understand that as well. At the end of the day, selling is a one-on-one transaction. If your customers don't feel heard, will almost never continue working with you.
• How they feel will seal the deal. Facts and figures have their purpose, but closing deals is truly about whether your client likes you and trusts you. This is the truth even if they don't know it. Try to ferret out feelings about being overwhelmed and tired, as these are issues you could solve. It's also smart to listen for pleasant emotions such as happiness, because this can help you understand your prospect's motivations.
• Don't tell people what to do. No one likes to be ordered around, but a lot of would-be sellers end up doing this when they repeat and repeat their sales pitches without listening properly. A better way is to talk about the benefits of your solution and listen while the client speaks aloud, coming to understand why, in the process, your solution is the best one. You can coach the conversation along, but don't go further or you could lose it all.
• You're not as fabulous as you think you are, at least not to people who aren't familiar with what you have to offer. Relax and realize that you can rarely know how anyone else is feeling and what they want without asking them. Clarify often, and don't forget that closing deals isn't about anything more than building relationships. If you really want to sell, you should probably get out of the way more often.

These sales skills might not be comfortable at first, but if you just give them a chance you will see that they are very effective. Remember that most would-be sellers just rush through with their pre-written pitches, not considering these aspects. These salespeople fail. Find sales victory by closing your mouth and proving that you really care.