I felt distinctly uncomfortable. I wanted to just hang up the phone and get away from the man and the conversation I had somehow got locked into. But I couldn’t.
I didn’t want to appear rude.
I didn’t want to appear weak.
I didn’t want to appear unprofessional.
I was under the influence of hard sales tactics and my only option was to say yes or find the strength to firmly say no.
It should have been easy to say no.
But that’s the thing with a hard sell. It’s very difficult to say no. You want to, but you also don’t want to have to explain yourself or be backed into another corner. You want to be polite.
Your emotions are conflicting and out of desperation to feel OK again or to just get out of the situation, many of you here will find yourself saying yes.
I’d be surprised if you’d never been subjected to this kind of experience. And it’s the reason so many entrepreneurs turn their noses up at selling or improving their sales skills.
What makes me so cross about this is that customers are genuinely missing out on great products or services they need. And you’re missing out on those customers, just because of a handful of pushy salespeople have put people off the art of simple selling.
What if selling could be easy and simple, and in no way pushy?
What if you just tried a couple of the following simple sales tips – tips that I’ve learnt from some conscientious business people who just want to get their thing into the hands of those who need it most?
Well here’s your chance to dispel the myth that sales is a dirty word. Try one of these simple sales tips out for size when you next talk to a prospective customer and tell us how you get on.
1. Find out if they’re the decision maker first
If you’re talking to someone who really wants what you offer, but isn’t actually in a position to say yes or no definitively, then you’ll get nowhere fast.
Sales are quicker and easier when you’re talking to the person who has the final say. Find out if your prospect is the decision maker simply by asking:
“If this is something you want to go ahead with, is there anyone else’s approval you’ll need?”
2. Be confident in what you offer
It’s your job to understand what you’re selling inside out and to be confident in it. You need to believe in it and know who and how it can help. If you’re not outwardly confident in it, it’ll come across in the subtlest of ways… and even if the person you’re talking to would be a great fit for it, they’ll never buy from you.
They might not be able to articulate why, but something about your lack of confidence will ring warning bells.
3. Tell them what they need and want to know
When you’re buying something new, there are a few criteria you need to know to be able to make a decision. It’s your job to find out these essentials from your potential customer and answer them quickly, so they can make the best decision for them.
