I have always been selling something: computers, marketing, consumer electronics, telecom, cars, and a long list of products and services across industries. I could not have succeeded without truly believing in what I sold. That is the great separator between selling and order-taking. A real salesperson is a consultant to their audience. If you only want people coming to you and ordering, pay your marketing department well. My five tips:
1. Believe
Authentic belief is magic. Believe in yourself first; do not let anyone persuade you that you are not good at sales. Choose to let yourself win, and do not let striving for the perfect sale get in the way of a great one. Then believe in what you sell. If you do not think it is great, find something else. I was in a franchise development meeting where board members were asked, "Would you buy a franchise from this system?" Many said no. How can you expect others to buy something you would not buy yourself?
2. Tell stories, passionately
Talk about experiences that create emotional understanding. Do not sell speeds and fees. Steve Jobs said it best about Nike: they sell a commodity, shoes, and yet their ads never talk about the product. They honor great athletes and great athletics. That is how great salespeople build relationships. If you catch yourself reading from a sales sheet, you need a different job. Know the product deeply, and passion follows; with passion come stories, with stories come questions, and when those questions are met with great answers, you close.
3. Inspire
Enthusiasm is an asset. Even the dullest insurance seminar can be elevated. Make the person think about their future experience rather than the current cost. Your customers should want it so badly that price is their last thought.
4. Listen
Buyers tell you everything, but do not become the order-taker. At a fast-food counter the best you get is "do you want fries with that?" At a five-star restaurant the server tells you which wines pair with each course, asks if you have been before, recommends favorites. Those dialogs let them learn your likes and dislikes without interrupting your experience. You did not go there to be sold; you went to enjoy the evening. Nobody goes anywhere to be sold something. When you listen and then suggest what fits, you have not violated their trust, and the conclusions draw themselves: she does not like dry wine or red wine, so a sweet white with the sea bass.
5. Consult
Whatever you do, do not try to sell. Consult. Demonstrating real knowledge builds rapport. Be honest when you do not know something; research it with them or bring in someone who does. Never wing it. It disappoints the customer and makes you less believable, and belief was tip number one.
Believe in it, tell the story, inspire, listen, and consult. Do those five and the order takes itself.
Originally published on LinkedIn on March 6, 2017. Read the original and the comments.
