Sell or Be Sold ? SELLING IS A WAY OF LIFE To succeed, a person must be able to sell. Every person needs to be able to sell others on their ideas to advance their goals and their own life. Salespeople make the world go round and drive entire economies. Indeed, all professions rely to some extent on sales. “.the only people that are getting promoted in life are those that are able to most successfully sell their ideas to others.” SELL YOURSELF The greatest sale of all is to sell yourself. Conviction is the make-or-break point in any transaction. Without conviction, the sale will not happen. “Customers do not stop sales. It is salespeople who stop sales from happening. You, not the customer, are the barrier to the closed deal.” Commitment is essential to making a firm decision; it allows the salesperson to stop wondering and to follow through with actions. THE PRICE MYTH Price is almost never the stumbling block to a sale. If a buyer hesitates over the price, they are not saying “this is too much money for me to spend,” they are saying “this is too much money for this particular product.” If the customer really wants the product, then money will be no object. In this situation, it is better to try to sell a more expensive product and judge the customer’s response. In other words, always move up, rather than move down. Once a customer discovers a product that s/he loves, the price will not be a barrier. “When I can’t close a sale, I’ll always try to move the buyer up to a bigger or more expensive product as the first solution to price objection.” It is also important to bear in mind that Second Money is easier than First Money. In other words, once a customer has already committed to spending something, they are more likely to return to spend again on further products. It is likely, too, that at the end of the day the more they spend, the better they will feel. ALWAYS AGREE WITH THE CUSTOMER A salesperson is really in the people business, not the ‘selling’ business. As a result, it is essential to start any sale from a position of agreement. Disagreeing with the customer’s viewpoint creates an adversarial relationship that is unlikely to lead to success. If a customer says “this product will not work for us,” instead of responding “Yes, it will!” take a step back and try to find common ground. “I can see why you might think that, but here is some additional information.” To put it simply, the customer is always right! Similarly, never criticize the customer by bringing up unreturned phone calls or something they should have done differently. It is up to the salesperson to make the process work. THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST In any sale, it is important to establish trust. An essential part of this is to show, rather than tell. People tend to trust and believe what they see, rather than what they hear. It is always better to show how the product will benefit the customer, rather than demand that they take your word for it. “When you’re documenting facts for your customer, it’s preferable to use third-party materials that support what you’re saying. Remember, people believe what they see, not what they hear.” GIVE, GIVE, GIVE Always make the customer feel serviced, rather than sold. “People will pay more for an agreeable, positive, and enjoyable experience than they will for a great product.” For the salesperson, this means giving energy, attention, and suggestions to the customer. It is also important to give the customer full information so that they feel in control of the process and the purchase. At the end of the day, providing a sense of service is more important than the act of selling. “If someone asks me for a drink, I get it for them, open the bottle and bring them a glass, ice and a napkin.” CONCLUSION Whatever the product or situation, the perfect sales process has five steps. Step one: greet and welcome. Step two: determine wants and needs. Step three: present the product as a solution to a need. Step four: make the propo...