Insider tips for the sales rep, from the novice to the rockstar.

Every sale is a story, crafted from the facts and data available in their CRM. Although every sales rep has their own pitching style, the fundamentals to every sale are universal. A member of our sales team came across this Reddit post from a seasoned salesperson, and turned it into 40 pointers to tip a sale in the right direction. We thought we’d share these with you as well.

1. Closing a deal is a methodical process. Practice and repeat.
2. When you speak, use your tonality intentionally. Emphasize certain words to create excitement.
3. Warm up before diving right into the sale. Pace your conversations.
4. Rapport can be created or destroyed almost immediately; customers listen closely to what you say.
5. Know when to stop selling. If someone walks in and says, “I want to buy,” sell it ASAP. Don’t try to do a full blown pitch and delay your sale.
6. Make an agenda. Prepare for each sales call.
7. Tell a story, don’t state facts. Paint a picture, use metaphors.
8. Profile your clients. Selling to a large company is very different from selling to a new startup.
9. Make your own weekly and monthly goals.
10. Research and learn. Know why you are better than your competition.
11. Read a sales book. Use this link for recommendations.
12. Create exclusivity. Why is your product unique? What makes it stand out?
13. Experience leads to success. Most successful people fail all the time.
14. Nothing is more motivating than necessity: Turn needs into wants. People prefer buying something they want more than something they need.
15. When you give something, get something back in return. This is fundamental to any negotiation.
16. Write good email subject lines. Don’t offer discounts and deals in an email.
17. Don’t sell it, let them buy it. Customers like to feel like they are in charge and making the buying decision, rather than being sold to.
18. Make it easy! Too many choices lead to a paralysis in decision making.
19. When someone gives you positive feedback, share it with your manager. Ask them to pass it along to their friends and family to earn referral business.
20. When selling to a group, scope out the influencer and sell to them.
21. Start a complex conversation with very simple questions about their business needs.
22. Prepare for the hard questions, like: “Why should we buy from you?”
23. Know your numbers EVERY DAY. Success is not defined by luck. Run those reports!
24. Be clear and concise in your responses. Use bullet points, create lists, and get to the point.
25. What you say may not be what they hear. Summarizing your thoughts makes it easier for a listener to comprehend the conversation.
26. There is no way to truly know if someone will buy. Nevertheless, following a preset process leads to a higher success rate.
27. Don’t sell features. Sell the benefits and the impact of those on a prospect’s business.
28. Buyers don’t care about your stuff, they care about their stuff. Talk about their business and how your solution will make a positive impact.
29. Sell with honesty. Prospects trust a transparent sales pitch.
30. Express why there is an urgent need to have your product.
31. Competition does not revolve around price. It revolves around exclusivity.
32. People often choose systems that require the least amount of thinking. Talk about how easy it is to get started, and inform them of all the free help they can get.
33. Your product is judged generally in this order – function, reliability, convenience, price.
34. Confidence precedes success, always.
35. People will always tell you price is an issue. It’s often not. Get comfortable with money; don’t be afraid of a large price quote.
36. Structure your day. If you are halfway through and still haven’t completed any follow-up tasks, your day has failed.
37. Every two hours, take a break from your phone and laptop for 15 minutes.
38. Dial. Dial. Dial. Be persistent.
39. Treat every customer equally. Don’t get emotional.
40. Get comfortable with hearing “No,” but make sure you were thorough.

Did we miss something? Which tip gets you through every sale? Let us know in the comments.