Top 5 Tips on How to Sell to Businesses without being a Sleazebag

Have you ever heard the saying “He can sell ice to eskimos!”? Well, anyone selling ice to eskimos is not a salesperson – they are a con artist.

Sales is not about sleazy tricks or pushing people to do things. Sales is about helping your customer to solve a challenge that they have, with your product. It is all about helping your customer from their point of interest to a positive outcome for both of you.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to sell to businesses, without being a sleazebag.

1.     Believe in what you are selling

Make sure that as best as you can, you believe in what you are selling. I understand that we all need to make a living, and sometimes we need to do jobs that we are uncomfortable with – but don’t ever make the mistake of taking a job selling a product that you don’t believe is good for your customer. Not only will you feel like you are selling your soul, but the customer can always tell if someone is not 100% behind what they are saying.

Better to find a job where you are selling something you are passionate about – and that passion will shine through and be a major factor in your sales success.

2.     Don’t Lie.

This seems obvious, but I feel it needs saying. Most salespeople don’t lie intentionally – they lie because someone asks them a question they don’t know the answer to, then they make up the answer. Don’t do that. 

If someone asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, say that you will find out the answer and get back to them.  Then make sure that you do get back to them. No one can ever know the answer to every question they get asked. You will gain credibility with the customer, and more to the point you will learn the answer to the question. Over time you’ll build up your product knowledge, and you’ll have to do this less and less.

3.     Ask Questions

A great thing to remember is that statements push people away, questions draw them to you. Questions are powerful in many ways, and as you become more skilled in selling, you will find yourself asking more often than telling.

When you are asking questions, you are making the conversation about the customer, not about you. You are also learning what you need to know to best steer the conversation, and provide the best solution for the customer.

4.     Have a goal for every conversation

I find it really good practice to have a small goal for every conversation. This might be to qualify the correct person to speak with, or to confirm a meeting. Never go to a meeting with the goal of just to ‘touch base’ or ‘catch up’. Ensure that every interaction you have with your prospect is moving things forward.

5.     Follow a structured process

Business solutions can be complex and can involve long sales cycles. Without a structure process it is easy to lose your way and stretch out the sales timing even further. With a structured process you can ensure you continue to move sales forward and measure your progress towards a positive conclusion. It also makes it much easier to forecast accurately.

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