The SECRET to Selling Anything: It’s Easy, Really!
I’ve been blessed with many incredible mentors in my life so far. A number of these people showed me insightful paths to success that I think about every single day of my life. One of the most powerful lessons that literally changed my life was one dealing with the foundational mindset for long term and sustained success in selling anything.
Now before I share this with you, you should understand that I believe that we all sell. Everyone sells. Whether you like it or not, we all sell, all of the time. We sell ideas; thoughts; plans; we sell to kids; spouses; bosses; investors; bankers and more. Selling is the one necessity of life and some of us do it better than others simply because we understand this reality. Others have made it a profession, and obsessed with the strategies and psychology of the art.
However you feel about it, understand this, you sell all the time so don’t even try to argue.
So the key to selling anything is this. My mentor said, “To be successful in selling anything, NEVER sell anything to anyone…But, let a whole bunch of people BUY something from you!” This one concept is the key element to selling anything and the one true concept that sets apart the good from the great!
The concept is deceptively simple. The fact is that for decades the top sales professionals knew and practiced the secret. But this secret is even more important in todays life and business environments. In today’s wired world, where information is at the fingertip through any number of devices, we must understand that the last thing a consumer of any kind wants is to be TOLD anything. In many minds, the act of selling something revolves around the act of telling, “Let me tell you all of the ways my product/service will benefit you!” Maybe this worked in the past but it doesn’t today. For most people it’s as simple as talking to your wireless device and it will answer you in seconds.
The real secret to selling success today is in the art of LISTENING! I’ve learned over time that if you just learn the discipline of LISTENING you’re guaranteed to win more than when you’re telling. If you listen closely your consumer WILL tell you how to sell them. This happens because no one before you and probably no one after you will be an active listener. Listening is honoring the prospect. It’s really trying to understand their need from their point of view. Then with this knowledge you share with them how key elements of what you do, fit’s exactly what they need. And that’s when the magic happens because that’s when the prospect buys from you versus you selling to them. The consumer/prospect buys because they want to buy from someone that they perceive really cares about their needs. They now are buying from you with the hope that you can help them achieve their needs and dreams.
Telling might be easier for you to do and it fills lots of dead space, right. But if you really want to skyrocket your future personal and business success, ZIP IT UP, shut the heck up and ask more questions and listen. You would be surprised what people will tell you and much of the time it’s YES!
If you struggle with telling and listening call or write me today. As a Master Business
Coach, this is what I do and I’m open for business.
As always, be GREAT!
Danny Creed
Real World, Transformational Business Coaching