Sell with this mindset and never feel like Sisyphus again

It never disappoints.

Any group of salesmen I ever spoke to ends up with that same look on their faces, as if I just landed from Mars. It comes after my opening question and reads something like: “What the hell do you mean what’s on my mind when I start the sales call?!!!”

Yeah. If you’re in sales, you know it too. We ALL know it. There's only ONE thing that's on our minds.

And that’s the moment I start turning this whole familiar process upside down and tear it apart.

I teach how to approach a sales call (in person or over the phone) without obsessing about the sale.

Huh?

I know how it sounds. But give me a minute to explain.

What happens when the sale you need to make is all that's on your mind?

Your client feels it, sees it, and smells it – however well you think you cover it up with small talk. No amount of the right buzz words and a wide smile can wipe that off your mind. Could you really listen to your client, pay attention to details, observe her business dynamic, remain open-minded, creative, and reach your best ideas on the spot?  The end result is all that occupies your mind at the moment. No matter how jovial you think you are and how natural you think you sound - we hate to be sold.

And we smell it from far away

Have you ever been attacked by that oh so cute chatty makeup girl in the mall? You know, those kiosks strategically placed in the way - so their salespeople can aggressively step into your direction as you're rushing through, already late for coffee with your potential client? You have seen her before! She's determined. No matter how your whole body is warning her LEAVE. ME. THE. HELL. ALONE!!!!!  With a bright smile on her face, she sticks that pinkish lipstick almost into your eye, ignoring the fact that you’re on the phone (or pretending to be, so you can avoid her):

“May I show you something special that will brighten your day?”

NOOOOOOoooooo!

OK, so I guess this could qualify as one good thing about the quarantine  (no more aggressive sales girls from the makeup counter). 

"Offers" like this give sales such a bad rap. I don't blame anybody for doing their job, but once I had one of these girls applying their miracle cream under my eyes, on top of my makeup, without even asking.  She was fast and I took her hand down, really aggravated. Do you think I would buy ANYTHING from her after this experience?   

When the salesperson has only one thing on her mind, she's incapable of reading ANY signs, including those warning ones. 

Even the word SALE rubs some the wrong way

That, and being “COMMERCIAL”.

(We used to represent a great music band in Europe who wanted to make lots of money – but they didn’t want to be perceived as “commercial”. Okay, I guess?! )

It's not a secret that there are salespeople out there who act like little robots. I've sure met my share of those. They follow a script, a method, a piece of advice, they use certain buzz words and tactics, false scarcity - and we see right through it.

And we HATE it

Turns out, it’s nearly impossible to be perceived as genuine if you follow someone else’s script. If there is only one goal on your mind it doesn’t matter how many times you repeat “I’m here to HELP-HELP- HELP-help, no, really; Pleeease I want to help you”. 

We don't trust you 

To be honest, these types of salespeople do get sales. They're consistent, insistent, and conniving. They rarely get repeated sales. And surely zero fans. That's a major difference. Treat people differently and you'll get enthusiastic fans for life. They'll often recommend you to everyone they know without even asking. They'll be loyal to you and your company because you treated them right. That's what I was always after.  

How did we forget to be "human beings"? And why exactly do we think it works on others when we hate it ourselves? Many of the small business owners I work with have huge issues around selling themselves. The favorite words to describe it are ”icky, yucky, sleazy, dishonest, tricky, pushy, manipulative…”  So why do we buy that next shiny promise of “how to close the sales” and “follow my script…” that promise to teach us someone else’s 10 steps of the miracle process?

Here is a crazy idea: what if you just try being yourself?

 Yeah, but if it was this easy, everybody would be doing that, Vera. 

You would think so. Except, they don't. Working in the market with all kinds of salespeople, trust me, I've witnessed it.

Sounds untested, unprecedented, un … whatever story you come up with about WHY it might not work for YOU and your business.

What if I don’t know HOW to sell? 

That's the whole point. You don't SELL.

It works. It can work for you too. And it’s tested.

So, what is this "being yourself" all about, exactly?  It comes down to 4 simple steps:

1. You do your homework BEFORE you speak to your client
2. You set your mindset BEFORE you speak to your client
3. WHEN YOU’RE with your client, free of your agenda - you relax (no sales pressure) and your client relaxes without the need of putting up the defense wall. You ask questions, listen, observe, watch, and see where you can genuinely help.  
4. Now you KNOW exactly what to offer them - something they WANT and need, and are willing to pay for – instead of pushing them into what YOU need to sell. (it may end up being the same thing). 

Works like a charm! 

Plus, as an extra bonus, you have just created a loyal client. You gave them the attention and respect they craved and never got from other salespeople. At that moment, you effectively eliminated your competition.

Because - guess what? They can’t plagiarize YOU.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of it.

If you think it’s so simple it’s not going to work for YOU, think again.

It’s not just another tactic, really – it’s the whole approach to selling turned on its head. It requires you to know your stuff, your competition's stuff, to be able to tell the difference. If you paid attention you can then be creative on the spot and offer your client exactly what she just told you she needed. 

Here is how it worked for me (both examples are from industries I was new in then, without experience, competing with seasoned veterans in the sales force):

From my years in selling life insurance:

>> I first noticed Vera’s great personality and natural talent for human connection. <<

>> Within a few weeks of her employment, she stunned the management by shooting immediately right to the top of the agency’s most successful underwriters and killing their long-standing record numbers. <<

>> She consistently brought in some of the highest and most stable contracts (lowest % in cancelations within 7 days trial period of the entire team). <<

Ing. M. Trnka, Commercial Union (British Life Insurance branch in Prague)

Selling high-end wine to B2B – (not just a new industry but also a new country, jargon, and new to the market):

>> Vera has gained a tremendous amount of respect for her ability to work, maintain and manage her territory. <<

>> Extremely organized and diligent with all of her clients… maintained to be a consistent top performer in her position. << 

>> What makes her stand out from the rest of the salespeople is her ability to think “outside of the box”. For example, she had developed core training programs for restaurateurs & retailers in her market, beyond that she reached out to the common consumer and offered education programs on wine – in turn creating additional revenue and sales throughout her territory. <<

>> I would have to state that Vera is to be considered the best with client relationships in my history in this business.<<

>> Vera also is noted for her excellent presentation skills; amongst the best, I would say. <<

J. White, Sales manager, Slocum & Sons

>>Always presenting herself and the company in the most professional manner, attentive to her customer’s needs, diligent, and overachieving company objectives. <<  

>> Vera consistently outperformed sales quotas by her proactive positioning ahead of the company curve and was always among the top performers on her sales team, more than doubling her territory’s earnings. <<

>> I was always impressed with Vera’s preparedness and tenacity. She often created her own marketing tools and presentations adapting them to her specific market needs. << 

>> I found her to be exceedingly self-motivated: prioritizing among competing agendas and evaluating her territory for new business opportunities. <<

R. Colopy,  GM Tempranillo, NY (former Wine director at Slocum a& Sons)

It works. All the time.

No matter the product or service, to whom, what market, what country. It's a deep knowledge of human psychology. It works.

When you strip down all the BS, deep inside we’re all the same. We all want to be treated with respect, consideration, we want to be heard, we hate to be used, sold to, manipulated, and taken for granted. And let me tell you, especially in the wine business, the way you communicate really matters.

Interested to see if you could use this in your own business – to fundamentally transform the company's communications and your team's sales results?

If you want to hear about my IMPACT with PURPOSE (Executive coaching program) where I help you apply these principles into your leadership style and business in more detail - please schedule a FREE consult with me now. 

We'll get on the phone and talk about specifics, your unique needs, and the business you’re in. You can ask me anything - and I'll ask you plenty of questions myself to understand your business better.

If your company is right for this type of coaching program - and in case you decide you don't want to miss out, you’ll also get the advantage as a Founding Member for the first 5 clients during September (50% off the entire package).