Sell with Confidence
Ditch the discomfort and sell successfully
Selling stuff. A handful of people love it. Most of us avoid it.
I am in a sales-type role. My job is to build relationships, get people excited about a vision and ensure they will invest in it financially.
For years, I was deeply uncomfortable with sales, despite the fact that sales was an essential part of my role.
I liked planning the projects or products that people would invest in.
I enjoyed socializing and building relationships with people.
But I dreaded the part of the interaction where I had to ask for their money. And because I dreaded it, I got nervous about it, avoided it and delayed it. Then often, failed to execute the sales pitch effectively as a result.
This type of self-sabotage was not useful. Can you relate?
Over time, staying true to myself during the sales process was key to ditching my discomfort and embracing the sell.
If you are a born salesperson, bless your heart, you can move on from this article - or just email me your tips!
However, if you are interested in tips for shifting your sales attitude from anxious to confident, read on!
1. DON'T be ashamed to sell
Do you consider it "shameful" or "rude" to ask people for their money? Do you think facilitating a sales transaction puts you in the position of the "inferior" or the "beggar"?
If you bring an attitude of sheepishness or reluctance to the sales interaction, if you view the exchange as distasteful or invasive, then that will impact your behaviour, language and demeanour. Too often, being anxious and uncomfortable about selling will taint the interaction and decrease your likelihood of success.
If you are a podcast listener, then you have definitely encountered this awkward type of sales pitch. Regular programming is interrupted for an advertisement. Someone you usually find entertaining and educational is suddenly - in a stony or inauthentic tone - trying to sell you a mattress / pair of socks / underwear.
But it sounds like they are reading other people's words. The effect is that they distance themselves from the selling process, but then why are they selling at all? By trying to sell you something they seem unexcited and underwhelmed about, your rapport or trust in that person is damaged.
This person may regret having to interrupt the fun and entertaining flow of the podcast to attend to economic exchanges that are required to fund the podcast. They approach the interaction as a necessary evil, something shameful and degrading. Because there is no enjoyment in it for them, and there is none for you.
By letting their discomfort guide their sales pitch, they are perceived as inauthentic and insincere.
2. DO have integrity
The successful sales approach feels genuine, like a friend-to-friend recommendation, and leaves you with a clear understanding of how you would benefit from this sales opportunity. You know you're being sold something (deception is NOT a useful sales tactic), but you feel the seller has an interest in improving your life and wellbeing.
As humans, we are attracted to ease, candour and confidence. When a sales pitch includes these traits, we are attracted and curious.
Staying with our podcast theme, a successful sales pitch is delivered in the same voice you are familiar with. Whether fun, analytical, well-researched or humourous, the podcaster's sales pitch is consistent with the values and attributes you already respect in that person.
Often, they base their pitch in their own vocabulary and experiences. They describe the meaningful results the product or experience delivered for them. This helps weave the sales pitch into a story format, a great way to maintain listener focus.
The result of this sales pitch is that you feel the person is selling with integrity - the ask of you and the promise of results align with the person you expect them to be. Because the rapport and trust you have with this person is maintained by their candour and consistency in the sales process, you are more likely to consider buying whatever they are selling.
3. DO focus on the solution
As a salesperson, you are solving a problem for a person. They have a need or desire, and your product can fulfill that.
Good salespeople make a strong case for how the item they sell solves a problem for you, improves your life, or energizes your routine. Personal testimonials are often a persuasive way of doing this. For example, "I used to drink 8 cups of coffee a day, and then I find this mushroom-based green moon juice, and now with 2 cups a day, I feel focused without horrible caffeine jitters."
If a sales pitch clearly articulates how a product can solve or improve a recurring challenge or struggle in your life, then you will be motivated to urgently purchase mushroom coffee / day planner / a new mattress.
4. DO be ethical
In order to sell without shame - you should be conducting yourself in an ethical way.
This is just a clarification that - in order to sell without shame - you should be conducting yourself in an ethical way.
How to sell ethically?
Do not exploit vulnerable people (either in terms of cognitive abilities or capitalizing on insecurities)
Do not misrepresent your product or overpromise on results - be honest about what you can deliver
Do clarify who the product is for - in terms of level of experience, needs and time commitment - attracting the right client helps ensure positive results
Do emphasize the unique character of what you're offering and how it stands apart from similar products
Put these tips into action. Do not feel obliged to sell like someone else. Do not feel like there is something inherently shameful in selling.
As a salesperson who believes in what they're selling, you have the potential to orchestrate an exchange that brings satisfaction to all parties.
