You have to be able to SELL
I’ve recently spent some time learning to ‘sell’ with the Wealth Dragons which took me right out of my comfort zone, but taught me how to cold call, and, as I learnt so much from it I thought I’d share my experience with you.
Most people don’t like Salesmen and hate the thought of having to sell themselves or a product. Why is this?
The reason is that most of us are convinced that we can’t do it, or we don’t want to do it because we think that selling is inherently dishonest and salesmen are seen to be ‘conmen’ selling things to people that they don’t really want or need.
Do YOU like being sold to? If not, think about why you don’t like it. Do you worry you’re going to feel under pressure or end up buying something you don’t want, or are you afraid you’re going to hurt someone’s feeling by saying ‘No’?
The chances are that if you feel this way about salesmen and don’t like being ‘sold’ to then you won’t be very good at selling yourself.
I didn’t like the idea of selling one bit! I cringed at the thought and thought about all the times I’d answered the phone to ‘cold callers’ and been annoyed with them.
I didn’t want to bother people, selling felt like begging and I was worried people would be nasty to me or put the ‘phone down if I tried to sell them something.
It was pointed out to me that most people feel this way because of their mindset, we’ve been conditioned to think this way because of enduring years of ‘being sold to’ by the media, it’s made us highly suspicious of anyone that’s selling something.
The point is, that if you’re going to run a business, no matter how small, then you’re going to have to sell something at some point, or how are you ever going to make any money? So you need to change your mindset, and the way you think about sales.
Sales is a people business, you’re much more likely to buy from someone you like and trust, so if you’re selling to someone it’s important to build rapport as early as possible, find a ‘common ground’ and make them feel at ease with you. Don’t go straight into ‘hard sell’ mode, because that’s a sure fire way to lose the sale.
It’s also important you believe in your product with a passion, because if you don’t believe in it then how are you ever going to convince someone else to believe in it and buy it?
Not all salesmen are conmen, ok the bad ones might make a few bucks by being dishonest for a while, but word soon gets around then they lose their credibility fast. So if you want to build a brand name and a good customer base you have to be ethical with your deals and give people value for money.
Instead of thinking that you’re ‘bothering’ someone try considering instead how you may be helping that prospect improve his skills or business by giving him a fantastic opportunity, people always want to know ‘what’s in it for me?’ So tell them!
Knowing how to handle objections is crucial in sales. You wouldn’t believe just how many objections people can come up with! Here’s just a few I was faced with (these are real!)
- I’m riding a push bike and the police are following me
- This is not my phone and it isn’t me
- My wallet has just been stolen so I have no credit cards to pay with
- My dog needs to go to the toilet
- I can’t talk right now, I’m in a field being chased by a cow
Third Party Authority is a big one: ‘I have to discuss it with my wife/husband/partner before I make a decision’
Time is a common one: ‘I don’t have the time, I can’t make that day’
Price is another: ‘I can’t afford it right now’
There are probably hundreds of objections you can come up against and you have to be ready to answer them…or you lose the sale.
When I first started selling I found it very daunting, I was way out of my comfort zone, but I forced myself to do it because it was another learning curve and I don’t like to give up easily. I’ve had the phone slammed down and people swear at me, but eventually I became ‘immune’ to it all, took it in my stride and laughed it off, they didn’t know me,couldn’t see me and I didn’t know them, so I just went onto the next one.
The very first day I started ‘cold calling’ I made 5 sales! (and got to keep the money I made) I was amazed because I didn’t think I could ever do something like that, I was obviously very proud of myself, and the exercise reinforced my belief that you can do anything you put your mind to if you want to do it and try hard enough. You just have to be willing to make a start.
There was a hell of a lot more to it than this of course, I also learnt
- Hooks
- Open & closed questions
- Negotiation techniques
- Extensive objection handling
- Seeding
- Voice control
- NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
- Subjective language
- Using scarcity
- Test closing
- Closing deals
- Upselling
Learning all these techniques and understanding the psychology of how people think about sales has definitely helped me to have the confidence to make calls, sales and money! Another bonus is that these techniques can also be applied to other situations and used to my advantage whenever or wherever influence is required!
I’d like to thank Vincent Wong & John Lee, also Andy Brice (Sales Manager) and Laura Clapham (Admin) for all your expert tuition and help and the opportunities you’ve given me Thanks a lot guys!
So, to all you people who think you don’t have the ability to sell anything, or don’t believe in yourselves, think again, and remember..
‘Where you begin doesn’t matter. Your willingness to start is what counts’
(Rhonda Britten)
Suzie B
Single Mum To Property Investor 