Selling is hard work. It’s no joke. If you’ve ever had problems getting a great house for sale off the market or getting people to buy cookies from you, you’re not alone. Even the most experienced salesperson sometimes runs into problems.
A lot of tips and tricks about how to effectively sell have been written and discussed. If there’s one thing you need to know if you’re selling something, it’s to not push too hard. You might end up turning off your prospect if you appear too desperate to make a sale.
Talk to your prospect and pay attention to what they have to say
Get to know your customer or prospect. Allow them to talk about themselves and their concerns. Don’t make the conversation all about you or your product. In most cases, if you jump into your sales pitch immediately, it will turn people off which could end up costing you a sale.
Listen closely to what they have to say and give them your undivided attention. Get hints from the things they say about how your product could help them out but don’t blurt it out just yet. Save it for the right time.
Provide solutions to their problems
Take note of this very important point: selling is problem-solving and problem-solving is selling. After listening to what they have to say — their concerns and their problems — suggest solutions that can be of value to them. It may or may not involve your product but either way, do your best to help them out.
Nothing gains a person’s trust more than the sincerity of someone who just wants to help. ;
Give them the information that they need
Another thing that you can do for your prospect is to educate them about how your product or service can benefit them. Don’t focus too much on the product per se but talk about how it could potentially help address their concerns.
Differentiate what you have to offer from your competitors. Take note to not bash the competition. Be classy. Keep the discussion centered on their problem and how you can help them solve it.
Be passionate and engaging
When you sit down with a prospect, do your best to be warm and engaging. Do your best to not be stiff. Be passionate. Be funny and witty. Make them feel comfortable around you. Your goal coming into the meeting should be to make a genuine connection with them, not to make a sale and add them to your numbers.
Never put your prospects in the hot seat
Finally, do not put any pressure on your prospect. Nobody likes pressure, especially if it’s coming from a stranger who’s trying to sell something. This is, perhaps, the most important lesson in selling that many a salesperson has missed.
Understandably, you need clients and customers to thrive in your business. But understand as well that passing on this pressure to your potential client will make you come across as pushy and aggressive which will make you end up blowing a sale instead of making one.
Selling requires a change in mindset. It also requires plenty of patience. Instead of thinking that you must absolutely close the deal at the end of the meeting, focus on how you can best help your prospect because this is the reason why you’re in this business — to help meet people’s needs. Don’t rush through it. Going through the process of showing them concern and making them feel valued is far more effective than rushing through it.
Selling is an art. There’s more to it than just selling goods or services. Once you’ve figured out that the ultimate focal point of selling is your prospect or customer and not your product, you’re halfway there.
