The truth is, there’s WAY MORE to selling than being that sleaze ball everyone hates and slams the proverbial door on.
In fact, you can sell without having to sell at all! And in this article, you’re going to learn how.
We all hate those salespeople who relentlessly try to sell you something you don’t want.
Like once in Cartagena, a very keen fellow almost leapt through my taxi window trying to flog me a toe ring!
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been in sales for most of my life. I love selling and I can appreciate it when a salesman is good.
With that being said… I understand why sales has THAT reputation.
GRUBBY MONEY GRABBERS!
Look – I love a good Wolf of Wall Street, Boiler Room, or Glengarry Glen Ross movie as much as the next man.
But while they’re entertaining, they teach less about selling than they do about being a slick-haired, manipulative narcissist.
Making comparisons that are as solid as Prince Andrew’s testimony, forcing people into perpetual ‘yes funnels’, or the timeless ‘golden-gatekeeper-hop’; “it’s a personal call” the director answers “yes, it’s a call about your personnel”.
All the classics… drive people crazy!
If you sell a good product and the prospect can benefit from using it… why would you have to handle a wall of objection?
And that ladies and gentlemen… is the sauce.
Most businesses can’t shut up about themselves, we do this, we do that, we are good because! Instead of speaking to their ‘starving crowd.’ Aka, the people who actually want their product or service. Their target market.
SELL ME THIS PEN
The easiest way to sell more isn’t to ‘sell harder.’
Nor is it to ‘hard sell.’
It isn’t a voodoo human psychological tactic.
I used to think that, until my mentor told me the one-liner that changed my life:
“People love to buy, but they hate to be sold to.”
He told me this after I squandered 12 calls in a row.
(It was his polite way of saying… “well no shit Sherlock”)
I followed my mentor’s advice and instead of blowing smoke up my own backside, I started asking questions. Qualifying prospects and figuring out if they actually have a need. Are both parties going to benefit fairly from this union?
If we’re not a good fit, I’d do something revolutionary.
Get ready for this…
I thanked them for their time and left them alone.
I know. Take a moment.
This did two things: Saved me time and a mountain of frustration, which was a huge opening for more positive conversation and therefore progress.
Selling is a joy when approached with the correct frame of mind.
You want a simplified formula I hear you say. Okay:
- Ask open-ended questions: identify problem.
- Agitate the problem.
- Present your solution.
- Ask if they want it.
Done.
Try it out for size. I think you’ll enjoy it. It beats using high pressure sales tactics consigned to the history books!
Chat soon
