You read it right. Start Selling Less If You Want To Sell More. It seems counter-intuitive. And I know there will be plenty of people who have been in sales for decades that disagree with me.
If you are “that sales guy/gal”, here are some general unscientific facts about how people feel about you:
- You are not trusted.
- People hate to get your calls and your emails.
- People avoid you at parties.
As a general rule, people do not like you when you are in that “sell, sell, sell” mode. Your main existence is to convince people to part with their money – whether or not it is in their best interest. You might have been in the sales business long enough that you can sell anything to anybody. You might even switch jobs every year or two. And that is usually when your friends hear from you. I’m talking about the calls that you make only when you have something to sell. People dread your calls while at the same time your friends don’t want to be rude.
So, they pick up the phone and listen to your latest schtick.
It is time for your new mindset …
The cliche “People hate to be sold to but they love to buy” rings true today. Remember that as your build your sale force going forward. As of right now you are going to stop focusing so hard on separating people from their money. That is the best way to lose friends and infuriate people.
Instead, you are going to become a person/company of value that focuses on education first. The best organizations are ones that go out of their way to train their prospects on the right and wrong way to do things. You are going to start generating regular free training that demonstrates how your organization is great at what they do. Go into extreme detail (without divulging company secrets) about how to accomplish what you do. I know it seems like you are giving away the farm. But in most cases your prospects will see how hard it is to do what you do. They won’t want to fight the pain and frustration. And they will call you, the demonstrated expert, to solve their problems.
Here are your three rules of becoming a training-based organization:
- Start a place on your website that is your training and education area. Update it every week with a new tip no matter how minor.
- Use social media and your email list to encourage sharing of your training.
- Be sure that every tip and training session ends with a call-to-action encouraging them to call or email you for more information or to hire you.
Over time your website traffic will increase, and your sales will get easier. Bonus: Easier sales = less time spent on closing a sale = more profit per sale.
If you want to start increasing your business sales with less effort, become a company that educates and entertains.
People love to learn, and they love organizations that teach.
