What do I need to know about selling?

26 April 2010

When you think of a salesperson, you might think of a slimy character. Someone like Al Pacino on Glengary Glen Ross.

This is the opposite of how a salesperson should be.

Selling is simple. You have to get someone to buy what you are offering. Normally if you have started a business, you should be the best person in the world to sell. You really believe in the product.

Selling is when reality really kicks in. Loads of people will say your idea is good, but words are free and parting with money is more painful.

A sale is only safe when the money is in the bank. Sandler Sales Training teaches ‘you can lie to a salesperson and still go to heaven’.

Sandler has come up with a concept he calls the ‘buyer seller dance’, which is basically that the sales person follows a path like this:

SEE IF THEY WANT TO BUY – TELL THEM THE SOLUTION – TRY AND CLOSE THE DEAL – CHASE THEM

Whereas the buyer follows the same process but does this:

LIE – STEAL – LIE - HIDE

They lie to get you interested, steal all your information as the sales person has verbal diarrhoea, they then lie about wanting to buy and then hide as the sales person chases.

It’s really important not to get into this.

Always set the next steps and allow them to say ‘no’ if they don’t want to buy so it doesn’t waste your time.

Don’t be caught out by thinking a sale is made when someone says I want one of those. People love buying, but hate being sold to, so don’t be pushy.

Always act like you do not need to make the sale. Do business on equal terms, even if it is with someone much older than you. They should need you as much as you need them.

Sales is all about building relationships. People only buy from people or companies they trust.

If you are managing lots of relationships you may want to look at setting up an IT system to help you stay on top.

Related Topics Sales, Al Pacino, Relationships

Categories Money Matters

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