Are you selling or are you helping them buy?

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that they don’t like sales. However, we are always selling, whether it be material things, services or even ourselves. I think that the confusion is because people tend to believe that sales is when they are “suckered” into buying something they don’t need or want. These unethical salespeople are the ones that mess it up for the rest of us.

Make no mistake… people LOVE to buy, they just want it to be their choice, not yours. Therefore, in order to be an effective and ethical salesperson, you need to take yourself out of the mindset of “selling” and put yourself into the mindset of “helping them buy.”

Here are a few tips;

1. When you answer a questions or make a point, stop talking!
Too many people talk themselves out of the sale. Your prospect has some questions and/or concerns that you need to address. If the point is important, then they will ask it… Don’t try answering questions that they didn’t ask. You will only confuse them.

2. If they say no, it means no.
Of course, there are objections to overcome… However, there is a clear difference between an objection (ie: question/concern) and a no. When they say no… It’s over. Move on. You will only create bad blood and ruin your chances of getting a referral if you continue “selling.”

3. Wait until all questions have been answered before you ask for the sale.
There are two things to keep in mind here… The first is of course to ASK FOR THE SALE. Too many people are afraid of rejection and don’t bother to ask for the sale. The other problem is that some people rush into it and try to close the sale before the prospect knows what they are buying. Be patient, and continue asking the question “Are there any more questions?” until the prospect says no. Then say “Great, then let me help you with your order.”