photo credit: caseywest

Here’s the big secret to selling — you have to match the way you approach selling to you.  Now that we have the big secret on the table let me explain more about what I mean.
If you listen to some people you’d think there is one and only one recipe to sales success.  Yet common sense if you look at other successful people around you tells you that simply isn’t so.  So how about if you started listening to your common sense, and applying that knowledge to yourself to increase your sales?

Imagine for a moment if you stopped trying to sell the way someone else thinks you should sell, and start selling in a way that matches:

• the way you already behave naturally
• what drives you to take action
• your natural strengths

If you’re naturally more extroverted you may:

• have a take charge and keep charging forward attitude
• think “no” just means “yes” later
• have no fear of rejection
• find it easy to meet and greet people
• can’t imagine everyone wouldn’t want to buy from you

If you’re naturally more introverted you may:

• feel uncomfortable meeting and greeting new people
• dread rejection
• not be able to bring yourself to push for the close
• not be able to stand treating people in a pushy, coercive, manipulative way like you think you have to
• believe “no” means “no” now and forever

No matter your natural behaviors you should never treat your prospects and clients in a disrespectful, unkind, or disingenuous manner.  Rather than trying to force yourself to sell according to a sales process that doesn’t align with who you are and your strengths learn how to sell based on your strengths.  Playing to your strengths will make it easier for you to succeed with far less effort than trying to force yourself into a mold you don’t fit in.

No matter your natural behaviors, strengths, and motivators there is a way for you to excel in sales.  Your sales success is directly proportional to your ability to use your strengths in a way that respects your clients and prospects helping them through the buying decision process.  Your primary objective is to determine if there is a valid reason for doing business together.  Then through a genuine conversation you both discover how and why you should work together.

photo credit: dan taylor

Recession, stagflation, down sales…what are we going to do?  Troy White recently wrote a post about price and why your fears may not be valid.  Hello, the economy is a great reason for increased sales.  Cut the pity party and discover the gold mine right under your nose.

It’s never about price it’s always about value.  Yes, when the pocket book is light you are more thoughtful about how you invest your money.  You’re looking for the best value for the money you trade.  Position your solution as the best value.

Telling isn’t selling, listening is the way to sell.  The whole time you’re talking you’re blowing your chance to sell anyone anything.  Ask thought provoking genuine questions that help you understand what the prospect wants.  When you do you’ll both discover their highly motivating reason to buy.

Don’t confuse sympathy with empathy.  Empathy is understanding what the other person thinks or feels.  You don’t necessarily share those thoughts and feelings.  When you’re empathetical you remain impartial and seek to help the other person.  When you’re sympathetic you’ll wallow in their pity with them.  That doesn’t help them.

The very objection the prospect gives may be the reason they need to buy, and buy now.  When you get down to the real reason the prospect can’t make a buying decision you’ll very often discover the motivating reason the prospect needs to buy.  For example, some people think they can’t afford coaching.  A legitimate question is, “if you don’t get help now will you even be in business 3-6 months from now?”

Why do your prospects need your solution now more than ever?  You know their objections, you understand the current environment, and you know what your solution does for your clients.  Once you convince yourself you’ll be able to help others uncover their reason why they need your solution.

photo credit: Joshua Rappeneker

No, I don’t want any!  Do you feel like that’s what everyone you contact is saying whether they say it out-loud or internally?  If you feel like that you’re prospects are thinking exactly that.

What if you’re prospects said, “I’m so glad you called I was just about to call you.”  Think you’re fantasizing, well you don’t have to be.  Yes, you could have prospects calling, emailing, faxing, and mailing you all wanting to know more.

There’s no excuse for the pushy manipulative sales person.  Even great sales people like Jill Konrath confess they felt like that before they learned how to sell too.   However, like Jill and all other top sales professionals you don’t have to act like that when you know how to sell.

You aren’t a “sales person” you are a “counselor” or “adviser”.  An adviser gives advice to others about their area of expertise.  An adviser doesn’t have to “sell” you they guide you and help you reach your own conclusions and make your own best decisions.

Part of your struggle is mindset.  As long as you think of yourself as a sales person you’ll act like one, and those behaviors will make your prospects want to protect themselves from you.  You can change your mindset when you start acting like a trained professional sought after and respected for the work you do.

It’s not your fault you act like a “sales person”.  The way you’ve been trained forces you to behave in a pushy manipulative manner.  Put that behind you and learn how to sell using proven processes and proven systems designed to position you as the trusted adviser you deserve to be.