We love to buy, but we hate to be ‘sold’
People love to buy, but they hate to be sold. We have a tendency to call the process of selling things sales. The truth is that a sale is the just one possible outcome in the process. The process of conducting business is about serving not selling. When someone wants to buy something, it’s often because they have a problem they need to solve. They may not even be aware that they have a problem. Your job is to help them understand the problem, understand their options and help them to make the best decision.
Know, Like & Trust
Sales has a negative connotation because at some point, we have all felt some pressure to buy something. Maybe someone tried to close a sale that we weren’t ready to make and it left us nervous about entering into sales conversations. After that experience, we felt a loss of power or control over our decisions in certain situations. Your ability to make your own decisions is a right that we hold dear, but sometimes we get stuck and need a little expert guidance.
We need to make a difficult decision and we need some expet guidance. People want to feel that a salesperson has their best interest at heart. They want to feel that the salesperson is trustworthy and cares about their best interests. This doesn’t happen by accident. As a salesperson, you have to be strategic and intentional. You have to be a person of integrity, be an expert in your field and care about the person you are serving.
Listen, Serve & Recommend
Your job is not to sell, your job is to listen, serve and recommend. The only way to really help someone make a difficult decision is to take the time to get to know them, understand what they are trying to achieve and the concerns they have. In order to do this, you have to ask strategic questions and then listen to what they say. As a business owner or salesperson, your job is to genuinely care about the person you are serving and want to help them make a good decision.
You need to know the outcome that the person is looking for and why they want it. Realize that the first answer they give might not be the real answer. We often have true motivation that is buried under layers of other people’s expectations. You have to keep digging to find out their true motivation. This will help them to understand what they really want and why. Remember business is about serving not selling.
Create a Win-Win Outcome
Often people get caught up in a ‘win-lose’ mentality. ‘If I buy, I lost and the salesperson won. If I can walk out without buying, then I win.’ I know that I have felt this way before. This is really about exercising your power and reserving the right to make your decision. If a salesperson does their job right, you will always make your own decision and it will be the best decision for you.
The truth is that I don’t want someone to buy my product or service if is isn’t a good fit for them. That isn’t good for anyone. It isn’t good for the customer because now they have a product they can’t use and it isn’t good for me either because I have a dissatisfied customer. The only way to create a win-win is for both parties to win. The customer has to make a good decision for themselves and the salesperson has to be of good service. The customer has to get more value than the price they paid and the business needs to get paid for the value they add. Business is about serving not selling
How to get started in your own business
Do you want to learn more about starting your ? Would you like to learn about setting up your own online business? How would it feel to find a way to add value to the marketplace and serve others in your own unique way? The best way to get started is to find a good mentor and training program. The best training that I have found so far is the Entre Blueprint. It will help you understand the best options available today and to discern what option might be the best for you. You can apply for the training below.
