Today I’m talking about Sales!
We all know its a necessity in business, if you aren’t selling something, then you aren’t making any money, and if you aren’t making any money in our current society that means you can’t live the life you want to live.
So it’s clear we NEED to be selling, but we don’t want to be too pushy, right?
How Do You Turn Selling Into An Enjoyable Experience? (For You and the Client)
This topic recently came up during one of our weekly Implementation Calls I do with our Accelerators. With so many of them now getting lots of leads coming in they really needed to be converting more into clients to ramp up sales.
The main hold back… “I don’t like selling”, “I feel sleezy if I’m too pushy”.
They felt like, if they pushed too hard to try and get a sale that they were needy, and they felt pushy. So they didn’t like it.
And you know what, I completely understand what they were saying.
I am the same. I am not a pushy salesperson. I’ve never really been into, the whole back them into a corner and push, push, push, hard sell.
We’ve all experienced that pushy sales person at some stage in our life and you may have even attended sales training that taught you that you should be doing it to.
If you’ve seen the movie with Alec Baldwin or done any traditional sales training, you’ll know the reference of ABC.
A = always
B = be
C = closing
I’m not into that. I don’t buy into the idea that you must always be closing a prospect and asking them to buy whether they want/need what you have or not.
The Distinction You Need To Make
I want you to change your vocabulary. Make this subtle yet powerful shift.
Selling should be serving.
Change the word “selling” in your vocabulary to “serving”.
You are serving people. You are serving potential clients. Because what you do solves a problem.
Business is about helping people and generating cash flow and what you’re helping people to do is solve their problems.
If you can truly realise that what you do helps, then you can also realise that what you do serves them and their need and wants.
When people come to you saying, “I have a problem. Can you help me?” That is what selling is. You’re saying, “Okay. You’re telling me you have a problem. I can help you.”
In the sales process, the first thing is you need to come to is the truth. This is something that a friend of mine, Ari Galper, always says.
All a sales conversation is designed to do is find the truth.
1. Can you help them or not?
So the first thing is have a conversation. Find out what they’re looking for. They have a problem. You have a solution. Can you help them?
This exactly how my Acclerator application process works, I don’t know if I can help someone until we have a quick initial conversation about what their problem is.
2. Take responsibility!
If you determine that you can help them, the next step is you must realise you are now responsible.
They have a problem. You have a solution. You’re now responsible for whether or not they solve their problem today or put it off.
If their problem is severely affecting their life, happiness, financial situation, and you can solve this problem for them then you must serve this person.
It is your responsibility to make sure they don’t make excuses, they don’t sabotage themselves and ensure that they do choose to take up your services.
So I hope that helps change your thinking. It’s not about selling. It’s about serving. I’d love to read your comments below and to share this if it resounded with you.
Carl is the Author of Red Means Go! and founder of Business Builders Academy. He invests in and runs a number of businesses, and regularly teaches business skills through online training and live speaking events.
