Close More Sales Without Selling

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Let’s face it… No one likes to be "sold" something.
To me, being "sold" is when somebody convinces me to buy something - whether
or not I really needed or wanted it. Have you ever been convinced by someone to
buy something, maybe even against your better judgment, and then regretted
having made the purchase? I’m willing to bet we’ve all experienced a situation
like that. Maybe we were shopping for something, maybe we were just passing the
time, or maybe we weren’t "doing" anything - we just happened to be waiting
somewhere and somebody struck up a conversation with us. And as they talked to
us they may have even started to become assertive or pushy. Or maybe they began
using "techniques" on us - moving us (read that as manipulating us) ever closer
to saying "Yes". They kept us on the spot until we either said "Yes" or ran in
the other direction as fast as we could. Either way, whether we said "Yes" or
said "No", the whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths.
No one likes to be "sold" something.
‘Yeah, but nothing happens until someone sells something, right?’
Well, that’s the way the saying goes, but we know that what it really means
is that nothing happens until a purchase is made.
‘Blah, blah, blah… Isn’t this just a matter of semantics? Aren’t you just
playing word games?’
No. This isn’t a matter of word games. The distinction between selling and
buying is important to understand. People do not want to be "sold" things. They
do not want to be "maneuvered" into a sale. Instead, they want to make a free
choice to buy products and services.
‘OK, let’s say I believe there is a difference. How exactly does this apply
to me? How could I change what I’m doing to close more sales (and get people to
LIKE ME more)?’
Here’s the key to success: Since people want to feel that they’re freely
choosing to buy, and you want them to choose to buy from you, then you need to
be someone who people choose to do business with. This concept is at the core of
business success. Let’s identify what causes people to want to do business with
someone. First off, let’s acknowledge an important point. While it is important
to be as knowledgeable as possible about your products and services, that
knowledge is rarely the reason someone will choose to do business with you.
In truth, it’s WHO YOU ARE, rather than what you do or what you know, that
persuades someone to buy from you. People will choose to do business with you
because they like you, relate to you, and trust you.
About the Author
Written
by Michael Beck, an Executive Coach and Strategist specializing in
employee engagement, executive development, and leadership
effectiveness. Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjbeck
and visit www.michaeljbeck.com
to learn more.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2008-11-30 16:10:29 in Marketing Articles