5 Myths of Selling
Every business owner is a sales person, but many don’t like to admit it.
So why is “sales” such a dirty word with so many solopreneurs? In this article, I will unravel some of the myths about sales and discuss how you are, should be and can be the most effective sales effort for your business.
In talking to solo business owners, particularly professional services providers, many would say that they don’t like to sell and even that their business does not lend itself to selling. “No I don’t sell, but I do marketing.” What is the difference between sales and marketing?
There are many definitions bandied around, but a definition I use is that marketing as “putting it up on the shelf” and selling is “helping a customer take it home”. So one way or another, in order for you business to survive and prosper, someone has to part with money for your product or services.
I consider the moment that a client, customer or patient decides to part with money, is the sale. This may come voluntarily as a natural extension of some marketing effort, but the trigger within that marketing that caused that thought was the ‘sale’.
As marketers will typically agree, good marketing has to have a call to action, well perhaps that is the sale. But do you really want to rely on someone possibly reacting to your call to action in the way you want, at a time that they decide or would you prefer to exercise some control on your stream of revenue?
So what are the common myths about selling that make it potentially unpalatable?
Myth #1 You have to talk louder or longer than the other person.
Easy, no you don’t. Just like a good conversationalist listens more than talks, a good salesperson listens and absorbs what is being said. They continually put the other person first. This includes hearing out the prospect’s point of view and needs. You can’t do this if you are talking all the time. And a soft spoken person will typically be more endearing than a loud-mouth.
Myth #2 Say whatever is necessary to make the sale.
On the contrary, integrity is the mark of a real sales person. Never do anything to compromise the trust the buyer must have in order to become a customer. Knowing what you know about your solution and the prospect’s situation as you have uncovered it, if you would not buy, don’t ask for the order. It will pay off in the long run.
Myth #3 Have snappy answers if they say no.
In sales training, clever-clever retorts to common objections are often discussed, but they should never be used. They are to lighten the mood in the selling environment, that can all too often get dark if prospects are saying no. There are certainly key phrases and questions to ask when faced with a no or partial no, and humour, well placed can be appreciated. But sarcasm or sharp responses will not make you progress.
Myth #4 You must always be closing.
I guess this depends on your definition of closing. If you think it is about asking for the order or trying to set the prospect up to fall in to a closing trap, absolutely not. People are generally too savvy for clever techniques. However, if by closing we mean constantly moving the conversation towards a satisfactory conclusion, then yes. Even if the most satisfactory conclusion today is no, it may turn to a yes another time. Again, remember we never do anything to compromise the trust.
Myth #5 Never take no for an answer.
I go back to my point about “would you buy in these circumstances?” If the answer is no, then no sale, don’t even ask. However, if the answer is that you genuinely believe the prospect would be better off by buying, but perhaps they don’t see the full picture yet, then it is right and proper as a professional and in your advisory capacity, to persevere until the picture is clear. The key word here is perseverance not persistence.
Above all, to make a sale, to bring in new business, to produce revenue for your business, your prospect must know, like and trust you. So that gives you a clue as to how you need to behave to be a great salesperson. And the cost of buying your product or service must be less than the cost (or pain) of not having it, which tells you what you need to know about the process you must follow.
Ignore the myths, be who you are and people will buy what you believe in.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 04:29PM
Reader Comments (6)
Thanks Terry. Very good information .Some of this may seem counter-intuitive . On closer look it is about being sensitive to the other person (we are selling to another person , remember?)
Like many other activities ,it's more fun when you do it with someone else.
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