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How to Sell by Not Selling #417
Just this week I’m completing an industry business survey and one respondent had a troubling answer when asked about business challenges. They said “I have to be a shark instead of an honest businessman” Wow that hurts! So let me ask you , Deep down inside, when you think about sales, is that how you see it? Do you think you need to be a fast talking shark to be a top sales guy or gal? It’s not. In fact, the best way to sell, is to sell by not selling. That’s our topic in this week’s episode.
Today’s Chapter: Selling By Not Selling
When the Master sells, prospects are hardly aware of it,
To them it’s just a conversation about their lives.
Next best is a seller who is loved.
Next, is one who is feared as sleazy.
The worst is one who is considered a huckster.
If you don’t trust the customer, you make them untrustworthy.
The Master Seller doesn’t talk, they act.
When the sale is closed the people say, “We chose wisely”
Today’s Story
Chris was excited to start a new sales position promoting services that could save clients significant time while maintaining quality. Chris’s sales manager, Pat, took Chris out on their very first sales call. Chris was shocked at what happened.
At the sales call Pat never showed the PowerPoint that they had worked on all week. When they arrived Pat commented on one of their marketing posters on the wall, it was a new product and the prospects were quick to start talking about it. Then the conversation wound around trends in the industry, the customer’s yearly goals, challenges with supply chains which led to the services Pat and Chris came to talk about. Before Chris knew it, the prospects requested a quote for a 3 year contract!
“How did you do that?” Asked Chris. “We never even showed them the slide deck. All you did was talk to them! ”
“Not exactly” said Pat, “If you noticed, what I really did was just ask a few targeted questions and let them tell us what they want and what they need. When I saw they had that one quality issue, I merely mentioned our solution and bingo, they got excited. My goal is always to have the buyer know they chose wisely, and of their own accord. That’s what I call master selling.”
Take Action Quote
There is a German proverb that goes “Ein Krämer, der Mäusekot Nicht für Pfeffer ausgeben kann, hat sein Handwerk nicht gelernt.” Or translated: A huckster who cannot pass off mouse-turd for pepper, has not learned his trade.
Time and again I meet people who think this is what sales is all about, tricking people into buying your crap. This isn’t the case at all.
Trust your customers know their business and if you listen you will know if you can help. There is no need to arm twist or be unethical. Your goal to to make sure the buyers will say they chose wisely, and provide a strong reference and even referrals when the deal is done.
Thank Our Sponsor Wingman
I’m excited to share that Sales Babble has a new sponsor, Wingman. Wingman is an actionable conversation intelligence platform that unlocks insights from every sales interaction. You can use Wingman to record your calls, review deals, scale coaching and build a repeatable sales machine. Wingman uses best-in-class Automatic Speech. Recognition (ASR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms specifically for sales.
Go to trywingman.com/salesbabble and get a free trial today. Wingman, your source for actionable sales intelligence.
How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. There is no need to be pushy, aggressive or uncomfortable reaching out to prospective buyers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours.
You can listen to our podcast on any podcast app and if you signup for our newsletter you will be able to download a free copy of the Tao Te Ching of Sales eBook. This book has been the inspiration for these Sales Babble episodes and you can see what topics we’ll be covering in the future. Use this book for daily inspiration with short one page chapters on a balanced non-pushy approach when selling.
You can be yourself when selling. It’s all about helping others with their challenges and aspirations. I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset.
Stop fearing sales and embrace it. Learn the selling secrets for non-sellers and start making a difference today. Here is the entire back catalog of episodes in the sales podcast.
This is a production of Habanero Media
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