I have been in professional selling for most of my career and I love it.
I enjoy interacting with people.
And helping my customers achieve a far better state of affairs in their businesses.
Contrary to long-held beliefs, selling does not involve manipulation …
Talking people into buying something they don’t want.
It’s about using your ideas persuasively.
In contrast to manipulation, persuasion is the art of getting people to do things that are in their own best interest.
It’s about treating them well and showing them respect.
It’s about understanding their needs, finding solutions to their problems.
And providing real value.
Consumers are more aware now
Consumers are far more aware than they used to be.
They are better researchers.
They can source a product and/or service immediately.
And find reviews and recommendations from friends and experts at the drop of a hat.
They are accustomed to making a decision based on the information they have gathered.
In most cases, their buying decision is pretty much made before they even choose to engage with a salesperson.
More than ever before selling is all about building rapport.
About how well you transfer your beliefs to your prospective customer.
You need to be completely authentic in what you have to say,
Bbecause, if you’re not, they will see straight through you and you will encounter resistance.
Selling is a natural and innate gift
We are all born with a natural ability to sell.
We use selling skills in order to receive attention and to get what we want.
Babies cry.
Toddlers throw tantrums.
As adults, I’d like to think we’re a little more sophisticated in the way we communicate our needs to others. 🙂
The truth is that throughout our lives we will never stop selling and communicating with people.
People really do buy people, not products
Over the years I’ve met many people who have the innate ability to build instant rapport with total strangers.
Like a new car salesperson I once knew named Brad.
I know …
Many people have a negative perception of car salesmen.
But Brad was a really nice guy, and a super sales star.
He had customers lined up, waiting to deal with him.
Not only did he know what he was talking about, he truly cared about his customers and he connected with them in a deep and meaningful way.
He worked hard on getting them the best deal possible and he was great when it came to after sales service.
He promised his customers he had their back and he’d be there whenever they needed him.
And true to his word, he followed through.
When I took my car in for scheduled maintenance I used to see him negotiating with the staff behind the counter in the service department on behalf of his customers.
Brad’s customers were repeat customers.
They came back to him time and again.
He’d been known to sign deals where people paid more for their new car than they would have if they’d gone through another dealership.
Just because they wanted to deal with Brad.
Allow your natural ability to shine through
You have what it takes to be authentic and trustworthy.
You know how to make connections with people.
And share your beliefs.
Now you have to allow that natural ability to shine through.
Don’t focus your attention on making the sale.
Instead, believe in the positive difference you can make in your customer’s world.
Concentrate your efforts on making deep and meaningful connections with your customers.
And on building long-term relationships based on providing value.
If you can master these skills, there is every chance you can become a truly remarkable salesperson, just like Brad.
If you found this article interesting, here’s another you might like to check out: HOW TO CONTROL YOUR FEAR OF REJECTION