This isn’t a topic I generally blog about, but I’ve had several conversations around this subject in the last couple of weeks, and I decided it was worth mentioning.
A lot of people think that selling is a bad thing. It isn’t. Obnoxious used car salespeople are offensive, but good salespeople aren’t like that. When I was going through my coach training, I actually got into an argument with one of my instructors around this topic. She said that coaches who effectively attract clients listen for needs, offer solutions, use empathy and are respectful to their prospects. I said, “Yeah. Just like good salespeople.”
Since she was the instructor and I the student, I “lost” that argument. I’m sure you can imagine how much I paid attention to the rest of that class.
But everything she listed are things good salespeople do. We like to be sold. But we like to be sold well. Small business owners tune in now. Many of you love your product or service but hate to sell it. If you hate sales, you’re not doing it right.
As I was hunting for my netbook, I walked into Staples to browse. The sales person headed in my direction. I did the usual deflect “I’m just looking.” Yes, even I, who know better, does that automatically. Then my brain kicked in. Wait. I needed information. And who better to get it from than a knowledgeable salesperson.
So I stopped her and asked my questions. She gave me good answers and exactly the information I was looking for. She made the sale.
Too bad for Staples that they were out of stock, and I wanted my netbook now. The Staples salesperson sold me on the product. But another store got the sale because they had it in stock.
Another lesson, small business owners. It doesn’t do you any good to sell effectively if you can’t follow up on your good salesmanship. Once we make a decision to buy, we often want it now. And if you are selling something that buyers consider a commodity, you can do a great job giving business to someone else if you don’t manage your stock.
So what did she do that was so effective? She listened. She asked some questions about how I was going to use the computer. She provided information targeted to my needs. She connected with me. Once she realized I had some technical knowledge, she spoke to me on my level. We even found a couple of things we had in common and bonded over them.
By the time we were done (about 10 minutes), I was sold on a netbook (and the specific one), and I had a very good opinion of that particular Staples (even though they were out of stock.) I’ll continue to shop there and recommend them to others.
That was good selling. She met my needs, and I got what I wanted. If they had the product in stock, I would have bought from them and no other. I wasn’t even going to price shop them. That’s how happy I was.
Take some lessons from this story and use them to be more effective selling your own products and services. Sales doesn’t have to be a four letter word!
Tags: sales