Could You Use this Simple Concept to Increase Sales?
Posted by: Cheryl Clausen in marketing, tags: , increase sales, marketingSavvy entrepreneurs, business owners, and sales professionals understand selling is all about the relationships you develop. The catch is most people are very bad at developing them. The harder they try to form a relationship the more the other person backs away.
First, understand why someone you’re trying to be nice to treats you like a pest. Most people view sales people as pests rather than potentially valuable connections. Even when you’re just trying to start a conversation or do something nice with no strings attached, as soon as they hear you have anything to do with sales their guard goes up.
They get defensive. They suspect everything you do or say has an ulterior motive. They think you lie and can’t be trusted.
Now isn’t that nice when all you’re doing is trying to open a door and get to know someone?
You are part of the problem because you label yourself as a sales person when you could just as easily announce the results you help others get rather than a job title. So instead of saying I sell insurance or investments for ABC Agency you might say I’m the Director of the Worry-free Retirement Lifestyle. At least say something interesting related to the benefits and outcomes what you sell creates. Let yourself be fun while you communicate your message.
Another thing that gets you in trouble is you forget common sense. Before you say or do anything ask yourself, “How would I react if someone said or did this to me?”
Have you noticed how you see opportunities to vote, complete a poll, or in some other way voice your opinion everywhere?
Blogger Darren Rowse provides a nice example asking his readers a simple question with two choices.
There’s a simple reason for that. People love to voice their opinion they want to be heard. They want their vote to count for something and get treated as important.
There are two huge benefits of using a poll or allowing people to vote on something for you. First, it engages the other person in a non-threatening way. Second, you discover valuable insights into what’s important to them, what they’re most concerned about, what they care about, etc.
Once you know this information you know how to speak to the people you want to buy from you in their terms. If you talk about what you have to offer in terms of what they want, guess what? They listen.
All of a sudden they are very interested in finding out more. All of a sudden those barriers that went up come down. Now you actually have an opportunity to open a relationship and, if it makes sense for the other person, actually sell something.
I’d like to hear from you. Make your voice heard.
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Check back to find out what others have to say and see how it compares to your situation.
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