How do you sell in a way that actually works and doesn’t annoy your customers?
I am going to give you four specific sales techniques that are probably very different from how you have ever been taught to sell.
If you embrace these philosophies and these psychological shifts, you’ll not only make more money, but it’ll help you enjoy your job.
It’ll help you fall in love with the profession of selling.
Serving is Not Selling
Number one is realizing that your job is serving, not selling.
We refer to it as “service-centered selling.”
Sales is a tremendous professional skill set that very few people have and if you get good at it without burning out, you’ll make a lot of money.
And you don’t have to burn out.
But how do you not burn out?
Serve, don’t sell.
It’s not you versus them.
You’re helping them.
You’re supporting them.
Your job is to help the prospect figure out if you have something that can make their life or business better.
Questions not statements
Number two is asking questions, not giving statements.
Great professional salesmanship is about being a master questioner.
What makes a great salesperson?
It’s being a great listener, not a smooth talker.
If you’re doing a great job as a professional salesman, 80% of the conversation should be you listening to them and asking questions.
Asking questions about what?
Asking questions about their situation and what they’re currently struggling with.
What isn’t working and what is their vision like?
What do they really want to have versus what they have?
So questions, not statements, listening, not talking.
Don’t Create Pressure, Give them Space
Number three is understanding that your job is not to create pressure, but it’s to give your customers space.
Whenever people think of selling, they think of pressure, pressure, pressure.
You don’t have to push them to make a decision. If you do a good job of understanding what they need and you actually have the right product or service to help them get to where they want to go, they’ll decide for themselves.
If what you have will help them get to what they want, they will make a decision themselves. They will buy from you.
Sometimes you’ll help them figure out that your solution isn’t the right fit and you can help them get on to figuring out whatever they need.
Giving them space doesn’t mean you’re not going to be weak or soft, space means you are okay if they don’t buy.
We use a technique called “the pressure-free promise.” The pressure-free promise is just promising them that you’re not gonna pressure them. Here’s what it sounds like: “Hey, you know what, Lisa, I just wanna let you know that my goal is not to convince you to buy something, it’s to help you understand what the right thing for you is.”
This simple phrase gets them to trust you a hundred times more than you were pressuring them into buying from you.
Get Clear Solutions
Number four is realizing that your job is not to get yeses, it’s to get strong decisions.
A “yes” is good, a “no” is fine, but what’s not okay is a “maybe”.
Them just sitting in indecision definitely doesn’t serve you.
That leaves you in limbo. You’re like, “Okay, should I call this person back or not?”
If they say, “Yes” then we go to the next step which is getting them to buy. If they say, “No” then you can move on to the next prospect and not waste time.
If you flip these four switches in your mind, your sales will actually be more effective.
If you have a question, leave a comment down below.
And if you want to learn more about the four levels of influence, check out some of my other blog posts.
