Do you hate selling? You’re far from alone. Even many professional salespeople will admit to a dislike of selling. Yet as a business owner, the survival of your business depends on the lifeblood of selling.
Why Is Selling So Hated?
There are a few reasons for this. For one, most salespeople don’t like to seem pushy. We’d rather be seen as nice, so we tend to water down our message. Potential customers don’t even realize what they are being offered and what the product or service can do for them. They may get confused or lose interest, resulting in a lost sale.
Another reason we hate selling is that, as buyers ourselves, we all think of the bad salespeople and sales experiences we’ve had in the past, and we’d prefer not to be the source of these experiences for others.
Yet we’ve all had good sales experiences as well. So, let’s reframe the situation: What did the good salespeople and sales experiences we’ve had in the past have in common? Why did they both feel better and result in a sale that made you happy with both the experience and the purchased product itself?
Here are some tips that can be helpful for both new and experienced sellers that will not only reduce your hatred of selling but will help you sell more effectively and result in happier customers.
Tip #1. Be A Learner
The best salespeople care about and seek to understand and learn the potential customer’s preferences, desires, and needs. Start by asking questions in a discussion, not an interrogation. It can help put both you and the potential buyer more at ease and help you determine which products, services, features, and benefits might most appeal to them.
Tip #2. Be Knowledgeable
The best salespeople are very knowledgeable about the full range of their products or services. They can speak intelligently and openly about the features and benefits of their products when asked. And they are not only knowledgeable about their product or service, but they also understand what happy customers like about it.
Tip #3. Be Genuine
The best salespeople have a genuine conversation with a potential customer. They ask clarifying questions and offer suggestions based on what they believe would provide the customer the most value for them. People love to buy but hate to be sold. Questions are better than statements because they persuade by helping the customer think through what they want or need, rather than it being told to them.
Tip #4. Be A Partner
Ultimately, the best salespeople are a partner with the customer in the buying process. They help connect the customer with the right product for them and help coach them through their buying decision. This often helps make the decision to purchase an easy one, resulting in a delighted customer that is more likely to become a repeat buyer and to recommend your product or service to others who they think may benefit from it.
Even if you hate selling, the tips above will make selling not only more enjoyable for both you and the buyer but will also make your selling more effective.