HOW TO SELL

does “SELL” feel like a four letter word?

 Here are some tips to help it feel more natural.

Are you selling a product or service?

 Did you know your mindset around sales can determine how well you sell?

Why do some people seem like “natural born sellers” while others fumble and tremor at the first mention of the word “sell”?

A study in 2019 showed that 80% of success in sales comes from our mental and emotional state not our technical and physical abilities.  American Management Association – The Psychology of Selling

Confidence and resilience are two valuable tools when it comes to selling.  The most confident salespeople don’t always win but they are never afraid to keep trying. Another study shows that an astounding 64% of sales reps are afraid to “close” and ask for commitment from their prospects and clients out of fear of rejection but they keep going. Actionselling.com

What if I told you there will always be rejection in sales, would you stop trying to sell your product or service? NO right?

So how can we build your “sales” mindset and make it a positive experience even when rejection is a possibility? First, we work on the mind and then the communication.

A “growth mindset” is what will help you achieve great success personally and professionally. A growth mindset is one that is open and believes that there is room to grow and develop.  Here are three tips to improve yours:

-        Know that with each interaction you are growing and developing. Each new conversation with a prospect or client is a chance to improve your listening and response skills which are essential in sales.

-        Feedback is valuable. Whether you win or lose a client ask them WHY it worked or didn’t.

-        Know that there are 100’s of ways to win and keep fine tuning until you find the one that works “naturally” for you. You don’t have to do it like anyone else. In fact, being unique in your approach will help you stand out from the competition.

Okay now to the real meat. The reason you stopped by to read this article.

How Do You Sell?

Here are four proven tips for both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) that won’t sound salesy:

-        START WITH THEM and not with you! The simple definition of selling is “to benefit the buyer”. So. how does your product or service do that?

What is the result they will get from buying what you are offering?

Not the details or features of it but what they will gain from it.

-        PROOF of CONCEPT, share this! In conversations, on social media, in content show how this has worked for others. IF you don’t have this yet, ask those in your close circle to try it out in exchange for feedback. Then use this to help build the credibility, the “proof in the pudding”.

-        ASK WHAT THEY MAY WANT MORE OF from this product or service if they seem unconvinced. This gives you the opportunity to continue the conversation. There may be other results your product or service will provide that aren’t obvious and gives you the chance to provide the complete and holistic view.

-        ASK FOR THE SALE without asking. You can ask questions like:

“Is there anything else that holds you back from moving forward with this today?”

“If we could start this next week, is there anything else you need clarification on?”

“How can I help you feel confident moving forward with this?”

Sharing proof of concept is where you can connect all your great features to the ultimate outcome they are looking for. This will create a natural and factual conversation not salesy.

The last two tips give you an opportunity to broaden the conversation and know how your prospect or client are thinking and feeling. A chance to address any other areas that could change the game for you in this scenario. Once you’ve satisfied their concerns you can ask if they are now ready to sign on or buy.

Treat it like a casual conversation, where you are gathering information rather than pushing things onto them. In most sales conversations prospects and clients will tell you how to sell to them you just need to ask the right questions and listen.

To conclude just remember to exercise your mind and get comfortable asking questions, making the connections, and promoting. Sharing what others gain from your product or service is not you gloating its you providing a potential solution to others that can benefit and enjoy what you created.

It’s also OK to realize that maybe the product or service isn’t exactly right for this prospect. Maybe you’ve qualified that you can’t ultimately help them or satisfy them. If this happens don’t fret. They will respect you more for recognizing this and still likely refer others to you based on your integrity. And, they may come back to you when they have the right need.

Always remember, the first time you do anything new is the hardest. But the more times you do it you build resilience. Sales, like your mindset is a muscle and it takes time to develop. Even the most seasoned salespeople lose deals but they sharpen their skills with every connection they make. So, get out there and stop pitching and start connecting!

Be Confident + Be Courageous and most of all Be Yourself

 All the BEST on your journey!

image by: Kimmi Jun