How Do You Relate to Sales?

"The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." - Jay Abraham, Marketing Expert

Many of us have stumbling blocks when it comes to sales. All too often, sales carries with it a negative connotation. We have images in our heads that sales people are intrusive, pushy, and even dishonest. Who hasn’t been hassled in a department store by a lurking sales clerk, asking us every three minutes if she can help us find something? And we all know what happens when we want to buy a new car or a major appliance. We often dread making these purchases because we fear that the sales process itself will be unpleasant.

If these are the images you have of salespeople, how does that impact your own ability to sell? Sales is the lifeblood of any business. We have to have sales or we are not in business. So how do we transform the sales process from one of dread to one of satisfaction?

The key is to remember that when you are selling something, you are solving a problem for someone. If you need a new washing machine, you want the salesperson to answer your questions and help you make the right choice. You want the salesperson to satisfy all the concerns you have about buying a washing machine. The salesperson solves your problem by taking away your concerns. Which one is the right size, the right price, the best quality?

The same holds true for any kind of sale. Our job, as salespeople, is to solve the problem, to identify the customers concerns and work hard to answer the questions. Our job is not to sell people services they don’t need or to push people into decisions they are not ready to make. When a salesperson does his or her job well, closing the deal is the logical outcome of the interaction. Closing the deal is the clear indication that the salesperson has identified all the customer’s concerns and addressed them.

So what are the keys to making this work? Having good qualified prospects is important. Look for the people who want and need your product or service and are ready to buy. Knowing how to identify concerns, having a good sales pitch, understanding the steps of selling…all these things are skills that good salespeople work hard to master.

Are you ready to re-think your relationship to sales? Could you use some feedback on your sales pitch? Do you need some fresh ideas for finding new prospects in a changing marketplace? Do you just need some support in revitalizing your sales process?

At Possibilities Unlimited, we can help. We’ve put together an 8-session course called Sales2Win that’s designed to give you a new way of thinking about sales. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned veteran, Sales2Win will give you tools you can use that will increase your sales and set you apart from the competition.

To learn more about Sales2Win, just email us at info@consulting2win.com, or call our office at 310-374-5976. We’re here to support you, and to teach you how to win the game.

Are you ready to win?

Your Relationship to Sales

“Nobody is a natural. You work hard to get good and then work hard to get better.” – George Halas, Legendary Chicago bears Football Coach

I just got off the phone with someone who wanted tips on how to raise money for a non-profit organization through…telemarketing. The mere thought of someone calling me during dinner makes me cringe, and I admit, I am not the most receptive or pleasant person when I get those calls. Why? It’s an intrusion. It’s someone I don’t know who got my number and is trying to sell me something I never expressed a need for. It’s everything we hate about sales.

At Possibilities Unlimited, we train people to examine their relationship to sales. Sales should be a process of problem solving. We sell our product to people who need to solve a particular concern. There will always be someone who needs your product, the key is to find that person and focus your sales efforts where you fill a need. Don’t try to sell handbags to people who need paper supplies. I’m not saying you won’t ever sell a handbag, but your chances of success are much greater if you sell to people who want handbags. And your relationship to this concept of helping people solve problems will strengthen your confidence to sell.

Back to my telemarketing friend. When she first spoke to me she had no specifics about what she needed or what her organization was about. She was calling people in desperation, trying to get them to donate. Her relationship to the situation was one of begging, and she understood her calls were an intrusion.

First, I advised her to seek other ways to raise money that might have more bang for the buck. But as for her phone pitch, I explained that she needed to change her relationship to the situation and be ready to tell the benefits. She needed to be specific about how much money she needed to raise and by when. And she needed to tell people why they were being called. She was calling people in a group of neighborhoods raise money for programs for at-risk teens. The goal is to keep kids occupied after school and teach them work ethics skills. The benefit for her “customers” is a safer, more productive community with less crime. She defined a specific fundraising goal, and is now able to tell people what their donation will buy in the way of putting kids through the program.

By changing her relationship to the sales process, she is now equipped to confidently speak to people who can support her. She can solve a problem for the community. She understands her relationship to sales and is ready to win the game.

Are you ready to win?