If you search for sales apps on Google, you’ll get around 1.32 billion results.  In this RingCentral phone system blog post, for example, Baochi Nguyen recommends five iPhone apps for sales teams.  You’ll get other posts written in a similar vein, and this is not really surprising as commentators have noted that we’re now living in an “app economy.”

If we need to create a to-do list, book a flight, rent a car, find a restaurant, make a sales presentation, or do anything sales-related, you’d only have to think “there must be an app for that” and find which one.  We’re app-crazy, and for good reason.  Apps make our lives more convenient and make our phones much more fun and useful. However, these online tools are only just that—tools. Apart from apps, there are 2 essential sales tools out there that you need to learn to wield in order to become an authentic sales ninja.

You

You can fill your phone with one hundred apps, but without the competencies of a sales person, expect failure.  What really makes the sale is you.According to Inc., your most powerful sales tools are:

–         Patience – let customers decide in their own time

–         Commitment – be committed to the customer’s success and to yours as well

–         Enthusiasm – enthusiasm is contagious and lets customers believe in your abilities

–         Curiosity – you learn something new to serve customers better

–         Courage – you’re not afraid to take risks to improve yourself and your business

–         Integrity – your honesty makes customers feel comfortable

–         Flexibility – you can change your approach to suit specific sales situation

 Sales Pitch

What makes a sales pitch effective?   A blatant sales pitch is such a turn-off to customers that Corbett Barr, the founder of Think Traffic, says, “The best sales pitch ever is no sales pitch at all.”  How does Corbett do this, you may ask. Two buzzwords for you:

Inbound Marketing – Attracting people to your business or website when they search for information that’s related to your product or service. Blogging, social media, and search marketing are three channels for this.

Permission Marketing – a term credited to Seth Godin, permission marketing is all about reaching out to people after they’ve given you permission to.

By using these strategies, you already attract people who are potential buyers; these people don’t need much convincing, because they’re the ones who already reached out to you!

However, there will be times when you’ll be asked to deliver a classic sales pitch.  As such, remember tool number 1. Also, know which questions to ask to better understand your customer’s needs, listen to them when they do decide to open up, and offer a solution to their problems.  Most of all, be a sensitive salesperson and back off when you feel that your customer is just not interested. It’s better to establish a connection and earn your customer’s trust instead of pushing for an instant sale. When the time comes that your prospect needs the services you offer, guess what—they’ll run to you and not to the competition.

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