You hate the very idea of sales and selling and you run or want to run a business; then you have a big problem! The only way you are going to survive is to convince customers to buy from you, and that is selling. So wipe the sweat off your brow…
Here are sales tips for non-sales people.
Your Experience as a Buyer
The biggest reason non-sales people hate selling is at the very mention of the word; they conjure up images of a dodgy car salesman. We have all had bad selling experiences and felt like running in the other direction. It’s the last thing we want people to think about us and so we steer away from selling all together. Yes, there are sales people out there like that, we have all met them. Now, think about a great sales experience. One where the person has helped you select the right thing for what you needed and it was perfect. Got it? Now, answer this question. Do you think about this as a sales experience? Probably not – right? We tend to say we had a great shopping or buying experience.
THE SALES LESSON HERE IS: Good selling is about helping people buy. When you do it well, they don’t feel like it’s selling, and neither do you.
Sales tip: Listening To Your Customer
So… if you want to help people buy. What’s the first step? Go back to the ‘bad sales’ experience and let’s think about what they did. I am guessing they talked to you (a lot) about their product or service and why you should buy it. People will tell you that you have to have a perfect pitch (explanation of your business) and be able to talk about what you do. They are right… but there is an essential first step in being able to do this in a meaningful way. It starts with listening. When you engage and listen to your customer, you find out about their problem and what they would consider doing about it (i.e., what they want to buy). People will buy things that solve their problem and delivers enough value for them to part with their hard earned cash. Listening involves all your senses. Your ears to listen, your eyes to ‘hear’ non-verbal cues, your brain to interpret and lastly, your mouth to feedback what you’ve heard and check you have it right or delve further in order to gain a better understanding. If you are missing out on any of these, then you aren’t fully listening and so missing the messages your client is giving you. Next month, we will look at what to do once you understand what your client wants and how do you show them that you can help.
