Good selling skills are necessary to really satisfy your customers. Now, I certainly don't mean that good selling skills are high pressure selling skills - in fact, quite the opposite. There are stages to a sale that will make the whole encounter far more professional for all involved, and the bonus is that your customers leave happy (and your business becomes more profitable).
Most sales follow the stages listed below:
1. The meet and greet.
2. Qualifying your customers' needs (asking questions).
3. Determining the most important prerequisite (price, delivery, brand, guarantee).
4. Making recommendations.
5. Closing the sale.
6. Following up the sale.
This is a simplified version of a somewhat complex process, and while it may not be relevant to all businesses it will generally apply to most. Training is available at all levels, from introductory sales skills to more involved training in one particular aspect of the sale process, such as closing the sale or qualifying your customers' needs.
By giving all of your staff the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to sell professionally, your customers will be impressed and they will be far more likely to buy your products.
There are countless institutions that offer sales training. Choosing which one to use can be difficult, but I take the approach that the one that sells the best pitch to you is probably the one to use, for obvious reasons. It's wise to ask the training organization about their background and experience, and I always ask for references from past clients to verify their abilities. If a training organization isn't prepared to offer this information, look elsewhere.
To be effective, training needs to be conducted regularly. It's not a one-off scenario. To get the most benefits, institute a long-term training plan and commitment. I also suggest asking your staff about the areas that they would like to be trained in.