11 Jan 10 top tips for selling more functions, events and weddings
Your attitude and skills will always determine your success as a Function Sales Professional. You also need a few great techniques and sales tips. Evolve3 associate and specialist function and event sales trainer, Kevin Kosky, has compiled a top 10 list of tips and techniques that can help you land more function, event and wedding sales.
- Be positive & passionate when you encounter people
First impressions count. Always be a beacon of positivity, optimism and love.
Whether in person or on the phone, the sound of your voice is important. The tone of your voice when you answer the phone can determine a person’s perception of you.
Answering your phone with an upward intonation makes you sound more approachable.
Try answering your phone like this:
“Thanks for calling (Venue). This is (name).” with a friendly upbeat tone.
Watch your ABC’s – Your Attitude, Beliefs and Confidence. They are the key to sales success.
- Avoid starting off with a discussion of the price or availability
How often do you get a call asking a “How much is it?” or “Are you available on (popular date)?” – Well – Don’t be a Premature PRICE Presenter. Don’t start by killing the sale.
If someone calls up asking a Price or Availability question, don’t just blurt it out. In fact, you should TAKE OVER the questioning by asking a few important ones of your own.
So, instead of blurting out the response, ask this:
“Just before I answer that, do you mind if I ask you a few quick questions?”
Then ask some big picture passionate questions. If pressed for a price – say: “It depends” and give a range. Always talk about your VALUE and benefits before disclosing price or availability.
- Start with the heart – think “heart before head”
Your eyes meet across a crowded nightclub dance floor. He sways towards you. You toss your hair seductively. As he leans in, he whispers, “Will you marry me?” RUN. Run now!
In sales, just like romance, it’s best not to jump the gun. You’ll have more success if your prospect feels like they KNOW you, LIKE you and can TRUST you.
Remember, the people most likely to buy from you are the ones who know you or have dealt with you in the past.
For those just getting to know you, you’ll need to start a relationship first.
Start with building RAPPORT.
Be friendly and MATCH their tone, speed, style and body language.
- A great handshake can start a relationship
You can start with a great handshake – not too strong, not too weak, just right.
Have a firm not flabby handshake, keep it vertical and just 3 up and down pumps is good (as you look them in the eye). Avoid dominating the handshake by being on top.
- Think like a doctor – diagnose with questions before prescribing your solution
Asking more questions is one of BEST SALES TIPS ever! Don’t just give them your entire SPIEL or PITCH. Remember, Telling is NOT Selling.
Tell them exactly what they want to know – NOT everything you know. Thanks to the internet and Dr Google we’re in a world where people can self-diagnose. Got a sore arm? Is it cancer? Is it a weird rash? The internet will tell you. But let us NOT jump straight to the solutions, the pitch or the answer. Let’s do some qualifying and diagnosis.
Start your diagnosis by asking some great “big picture” passion inducing questions. Don’t answer questions they haven’t asked and don’t need to know. Be more succinct.
S.U.A.L. – Shut up and Listen! The ultimate venue sales professional is the one who can diagnose the perfect solution. Listening well really counts too.
- Ask and find out their “source of enquiry” near the beginning of your conversation
You’ll want to pick up any referrals or repeat clients very quickly so you need to have this information as early as possible; never save this question for the end.
- “Have you been here before?”
- “What have you heard about our venue?”
- “May I ask how you heard about us?”
- Use question softeners
Be polite when asking questions – try adding these softeners when asking for any private information like address or name
- “Do you mind if I ask..?”
- “Is it okay if I ask..?”
- “May I ask..?”
Question softeners such as those above prove you are a gentle person – and when it comes to selling, gentle but assertive beats pushy every time.
- Offer add-ons & extras – “Do you want fries with that?”
The easiest add-on is to sell the thing most related to the main product they purchased.
What are your favourite venue extras – your “fries”?
Read this blog for more ideas on Selling more Addons and Extras
- Use pointing and the “magic head nod”
As part of the upsell, simply pointing at the object or picture and nodding gently, will lead to a higher conversion rate.
- Ask for the order and ask again
After all that, don’t just be an information provider. ASK for the order. It’s NO not now, not NO forever. Ask! ASK nicely but keep asking. Ask again in a different way.
If you want to master function and event sales, consider the Function & Event Sales Masterclass hosted regularly by Kevin Kosky in Melbourne.
