Elegant Sales. The art of understanding client needs and creating a desire to buy.

Sales has a bad rep and rightly so. In many cases we feel pushed, lied to, pressurised and unheard. Being seen as nothing more than a route to the ‘seller’ getting a little closer to their stretch target and a meaty commission.

At 21 I entered the sales arena via the passage of recruitment, an industry in which I thrived for almost a decade. I went on to sell fitted bedrooms direct to the public in their homes, my success led to a fast promotion to the dizzy heights of National Sales Manager. It was a hard sell, typical of the era, with excruciating targets, questionable strategies and omnipresent pressure. Once I had a few years of proven success to add to my CV I turned my back on the direct sales industry and moved on to Blue Chip Sales Director . I was thrilled with the opportunity to grow, explore and become an expert in the science of elegant sales. This led to a meaty role as Managing Director within TV, with 100 staff including 50 creatives and sales high on the agenda.

Jumping out of corporate and into coaching 15 years ago was a leap I have thanked myself for! I remain in love with, and passionate about, coaching small sales teams committed to offering their customers the very best buying experience. As they say ‘you can take the girl out of sales but you can’t take sales out of the girl’. Ignited by the thrill of advanced communication, customer care that goes way over and above and inspiring individuals to grow their sales wings to fly ever higher.

This week working with @vaughandesigns was a reminder of the power of harnessing skills of deep listening, opening, connecting, rapport building, understanding and of course signing the deal.

The psychology of sales still invites and excites, how very blessed I am to have a role with such variety, working with great people and making a difference to the world with many small ripples.

If you happen to be in the market for extraordinary design, quality and customer care, take a peek at Vaughan. With a client base covering royalty to rock stars, you can be assured of timeless wow factor, elegance with a twist and attention to detail that goes way beyond the norm.

With an increasingly volatile economy progressive companies understand the need to stay ahead of the curve. Investing in their teams, reviewing key processes and ensuring delivery of a sales experience, having people coming back for more. When we’re truly understood and feel our custom is appreciated, sales becomes a pleasure, creating an environment of trust and long lasting commercially viable relationships.

Difficult times demand new ways of thinking. Only the strongest will survive, the best of the best will thrive. Opportunities are created for businesses who stand out. Don’t wait for the axe to fall, now is the time to become leaner, keener, along with optimum commercial demeanour!