Don’t Let Distance Get in the Way of a Giant Sale
Guest Post by Jason Cromwell
In business some sales are easy and some are a lot more difficult. One of the biggest factors that could cause you to struggle to get a deal closed or the job you desire is distance.
A potential client might love what you offer but if they are based a long way away you might find it difficult to close the deal. Here are some tips…
Build a Strong Relationship and Gain Trust
One of the issues many people have with buying over distance is a lack of confidence in the applicant or seller. In the past, the best idea was to take a trip out to the client to close the deal. This can be very expensive and time-consuming, with no guaranteed end results. A smarter move is to build the relationship using video conferencing. Many options exist from free usage of Google+Hangouts or Skype, to outstanding sound and visual quality found with Zoom.US or the likes of high quality video conferencing services. This is a powerful, good value way of speaking face to face. It can make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.
Think About the Time Difference
If you aren’t used to dealing with business contacts on the opposite of the world then it can take a while to get used to it. You are probably used to working from 9am to 5pm. What if the person vital to this big deal wakes up just as you are ready to go home? It is probably going to be necessary for you to change your working day to accommodate this client. Planning in advance is going to be vital. Maybe grab additional world clocks on your smartphone or your tablet. Simple but helpful!
Avoid Language and Cultural Problems
Long distance deals can often mean interacting with people who speak a different language and who have different cultural values. It is a nice gesture to learn at least a few words of their language. If you can greet them in their language then this can be a nice way to break the ice. Cultural differences can be even more troublesome than the language issues. They may involve subtle differences. A quick search on the internet should be enough to guide you. Sometimes the things you learn can be surprising, such as hand gestures which are fine in some cultures but really bad insults in others. You don’t want to make any mistakes in this respect, so make sure you are well prepared.
Following Cromwell’s guideliens will lead you to the Smooth Sale!
Read Addtional Strategies and Techniques:
Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results, Sourcebooks
HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews, Career Press
