I recently delivered a presentation to a group of entrepreneurs and business owners on sales. When I think of sales, my associations are always positive. However, depending on what industry or what position we have within an organization, some of us think that we are not in sales. Well, I am here to tell you that we all are in sales. The day you were born, when you wanted a dry diaper or you wanted to be fed, you let it be known very loudly what you wanted, and that is where the sale began, and most likely, you won that sale.
Be aware that there is a sale going on and every conversation you’re having, day in and day out. The reason I talked about associations is because they affect how you show up in certain situations. For example; if your associations with salespeople are negative, like that old-time used car salesman cliche, pushy, arrogant, and rude. If that’s your association of how you’re thinking, you are afraid to make a sale because you’re afraid that you might be perceived as pushy, arrogant, and rude. If that’s true for you, how is that working for you and your sales in your organization? Something to think about.
Now, if your association with being a salesperson is positive, for example; building trust, creating value, moving money, and you believe that nothing happens without a sale. That it’s a movement of money worldwide. It’s taking action behind an idea that you believe in that’s good for your client, that’s going to help and bring them value. That’s a worthwhile conversation. Being authentic makes it about them because you believe when they buy your product or services, they win. When your associations are positive, everybody wins. Zig Ziglar would say, “When you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.” Sales are about educating and delivering your product and service to somebody who needs and wants it.
If you have negative associations to sales, you might want to get over it, because I guarantee it’s hampering your performance. However, if your association with salespeople are positive, you are probably achieving great results in your organization.
Speaking for myself, I’m convinced that I bring tremendous value, pride, and confidence, to working with my clients. As a coach, I have two coaches myself. They’re going to see things in me that I don’t see. They’re going to address my blind spots. They’re going to ask me questions. They’re going to challenge me. They’re going to encourage me. They’re going to get me to see what I need to see, so I could take a step up to go to the next level to get even better. That’s extremely valuable, and that’s the same thing I do for my clients.
Now, there’s a great little book that I believe was the best sales book ever written. It’s written by Dr. Seuss, Sam-I-Am, Green Eggs and Ham. The reason I say this is Joey did not like green eggs and ham. Sam-I-Am was attempting to convince Joey that the green eggs and ham were really good, because he’s had them himself, and he knows they’re delicious. In every conceivable way possible, Sam-I-Am attempted to convince Joey that the green eggs and ham would be delicious and he’d love him. In every conceivable way, Joey refused to try the green eggs and ham, which eventually he did, and he loved them. Sam-I-Am was convinced that Joey was going to love the green eggs and ham, and he wasn’t going to budge until Joey tasted them because he knew he would love them, as he did. That’s why it’s the greatest sales book ever written.
If you believe that your product and service are going to bring value to your customers, it’s your job to authentically convince them the same, because once they use the product or service, they will be sold. After all, you did them a service. Anything else is an injustice. If you left your client or customer hanging, not buying your product and service when you knew that would bring them value, that’s on you.
Double-check your associations with a salesperson. If they’re negative, time to adjust. If they’re positive, keep on selling, because selling makes the world go round.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud Action Coach Franchise partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. Businesscoachmichaeldill.com