| Regarding business sales and marketing, a great | | | | The sad thing is that, through fear of selling - |
| man once said that the greatest aid was not a | | | | which is really fear of rejection - most aspirant |
| technique but rather a hungry crowd. Imagine a | | | | salespeople burn out and give up. |
| hungry crowd pouring out of a football stadium. In | | | | Ironically, with a little application, most people could |
| the street outside, there's a hot-dog stand. A | | | | go from being 15% good at sales to being 50% |
| delicious aroma is wafting up. Does the hot-dog | | | | good at sales. Would this make a massive |
| vendor need to sell his hot-dogs? No. | | | | difference to their businesses - and their lives? |
| The hot-dog vendor isn't a sales person. He's an | | | | Yes it would. |
| order-taker. And that's fine - as long as he has a | | | | The word 'sale' comes from the Swedish word |
| hungry crowd and no competition. | | | | 'selle', which means to serve. A good, ethical |
| With other sales situations, it's trickier. Most | | | | salesperson serves others by being a 100% |
| markets are so mature that it's difficult to easily | | | | trustworthy problem solver. Many religions |
| distinguish one product or service from another. | | | | maintain that serving others is the greatest thing |
| Have you been to a showroom recently to buy a | | | | that we can do with our lives. And, with ethical |
| washing machine? There's a bewildering variety of | | | | selling, it can also make you seriously rich. |
| makes, with dozens and dozens of features - | | | | The secret of successful ethical selling lies in |
| information overload. | | | | following this order of priority: |
| To make a successful choice, it seems as though | | | | Always do the right thing, ethically. Be as close as |
| you need a PhD in washing machines. Now some | | | | you can to 100% ethical, 100% trustworthy, in all |
| people love doing all the research, reading | | | | your actions - not just selling. See yourself as |
| comparative reports, etc, etc - which is great if | | | | utterly ethical and trustworthy. Your customers |
| you have lots of time and enjoy researching. | | | | will soon 'pick up the vibes' and choose you over |
| However, once you go to buy something else, | | | | your competitors. |
| such as a camcorder, you run into the same | | | | Then do what's best for your customer. If a |
| problem; it seems as though you need a PhD in | | | | product/service is genuinely best for him or her, |
| camcorders. | | | | that's the one to focus on - even if it means far |
| Most of us have neither the time nor inclination to | | | | less commission for you. |
| get PhDs in washing machines, camcorders, | | | | Then do what's best for your company. |
| vacuum cleaners, etc. We just want to quickly | | | | Then do what's best for you. |
| and easily buy what's best for us. And often the | | | | In other words, be thoroughly unselfish. |
| best way of doing this is to use the services of a | | | | Concentrate on helping your customer. Be a |
| salesperson, a problem-solver, who will help us | | | | problem solver - focussed on solving his or her |
| solve our problem with the right product or | | | | problem. |
| service. | | | | By knowing that you're always doing what's best |
| Often we have an anti-sales bias. Selling is seen as | | | | for others, you'll start to feel good about yourself |
| rather seedy, slightly sleazy, not quite respectable. | | | | all the time. And your customers will pick up on |
| Yet we sell with a CV. We sell at a job interview. | | | | that feeling. They will know that they can trust |
| We sell when we're asking someone out on a | | | | you implicitly. And they will want to buy for you. |
| date. Selling? We do it all the time! | | | | Take this secret. Use it in your business... and in |
| The truth is that selling is vital. Without sales, | | | | your personal life. Believe me, it works. You'll feel |
| companies go bust. Without sales, there's no | | | | better about yourself, your customers will benefit |
| money to fund schools, hospitals and museums. | | | | and your business will benefit. |