Selling is Easy!

by Don Sanders

Selling is Easy!

If you are always confident in your selling abilities, then you understand why your profession is easier for you than for many others. On the other hand, if you think that selling is hard, then this article will help you understand why you have struggled in the past and what you can do to be more successful in the future.

Selling is hard for many

In order to be successful at sales, you really only need to have two simple things--a personality and confidence. If that’s the case, why is selling so difficult for many of us? Some people simply don’t realize that their personalities are not fit for sales, or that their confidence level is so low that they always fold when the going gets tough. Lacking in either of these two areas can make working in sales one of the hardest things in the world to do.

A great personality is key

People who excel at selling are both gregarious and outgoing. They know that they cannot be wall flowers when they are around other people, and they also know that to find and maintain new accounts they must be appealing to the majority of people with whom they come in contact. They realize that the key to having an appealing nature is to show interest in things important to the people they meet and to be able to carry on conversations about a myriad of topics.

Successful salespeople generally exhibit the following personality characteristics:

Optimism—No matter how bad something gets, the situation will eventually get better. Believing that something good will eventually come along helps them quickly cope with the negative things that affect us all.

Cheerfulness—It should be found in almost everything that we do. Selling is a profession that doesn’t usually require a “nose to the grindstone” attitude like many others. That’s not to say that successful people don’t take selling seriously. But they retain a cheerful attitude even when things go wrong. They know that it’s not the end of the world if they mess up just one order.

Interest in others—Having the ability to be sincerely interested and concerned in everyone. When they have an interest in what is happening in a client’s world, a good salesperson always has a wealth of talking points that keep relationships and sales flowing.

Curiosity—Willingness to ask questions of everyone. Refusing is to ask a sufficient number of questions is surefire why to fail at sales. Because successful salespeople know what is going on with their customers, they can service them correctly.

Flexibility—The opportunity to make choices is a benefit of selling. One of the great things about promotional products is that salespeople can call on anyone they like. If something is not going well with a prospect, they frequently have the freedom to walk away from the sitation.

Here is the story of a distributor whose personality and selling life changed for the better:

My name is Ben Simpson and after suffering through three mediocre years of selling, I decided that I either needed to ramp up my sales or stop selling promotional products all together. The money I was bringing home just didn’t match my efforts. When I did some soul searching to determine what was holding me back, I discovered that I was not communicatind effectively because of my uncurious nature. I decided to change my attitude by asking more questions of everyone I encountered. I’ve become so proficient at it that my sales have increased by 35% over those of last year. That success has strengthened my resolve and I am more committed than ever about staying in the industry. I’m also now looking at changing other aspects of my selling style to be the best salesman I can be!

The desire and ability to always be improving one’s personality is critical to mastering half of the selling equation. By being pleasant in the company of others and interested in what they are doing, you are positioning yourself to expand both your business and your horizons farther than you could ever imagine.

Confidence brings in orders!

Talented salespeople have one thing in common--they know what they’re doing and it shows. They realize that their time is valuable and they have the courage to walk away from unprofitable orders. Quality salespeople know that orders sold on low profit margins are done so by desperate people lacking confidence. People who sell on price because that is the only way they can make sales, are destined to fail.

Becoming confident is sometimes easier said than done. But here are a few things to do to build confidence:

Always be prepared--Nothing breeds confidence better than knowledge. People who know what they are talking about see things more clearly. Those who are unprepared tend to get confused and make mistakes.

Know current events—The ability to talk with people on all levels is what sets great salespeople apart from the rest. Individuals who are well-read are better equipped to converse with anyone, while those with limited knowledge or interests are left behind.

Never sell on price—Salespeople who make sales based on quality and service are the ones who make a good living. Conversely, those who sell on price know they have little going for them and are willing to scrape by on crumbs as a result of cutting their prices.

Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeve—More orders are lost than sold, and well- trained salespeople know that this fact is just a part of the game. When they lose orders, they affirm to themselves that another order will come along to replace the one just lost.

Work closely with certain suppliers—Distributors who make real money, know they have to work closely with a select number of suppliers they totally trust. Having strong relationships with a few key suppliers gives them the comfort and confidence to know exactly what both they and the supplier can do to meet customer needs.

Sales can be fun

Many people reading this article will think there are more tricks to being effective at sales than just having a great personality and a high degree of confidence. Inner strength and perserverance also help, as does knowing what you’re talking about, and when to walk away from bad orders. But when you combine all of these variables with a little luck, you can have a successful sales career. And selling can be easy and fun!