Survey Works, Ltd., a leading market research company, conducted a survey of American workers. They asked individuals: “Did you want to be a [insert career here] growing up?”
Here are some responses from various industries:
-
97% of Professional Athletes said Professional Athlete
-
88% of Doctors said Doctor
-
79% of Attorneys said Attorney
-
67% of Models said Model
-
56% of Farmers said Farmer
-
49% of Nurses said Nurse
-
47% of Teachers said Teacher
-
41% of Accountants said Accountant
-
40% of Factory Workers said Factory Worker
-
5% of Sales People said Sales Person
There interesting thing is that only 5% of Sales People said they wanted to be a Sales Person. That means that 95% of people in a sales career probably didn’t ever think of sales as a career. Now sales as a career can be a very demanding, but the fact is everyone should have some kind of knowledge about sales. Obviously, knowing how to sell is important if your entire career depends upon it, but we all have to be sales people at some point! Think about it. You need sales skills to sell the idea of yourself in a job interview, to sell a project team on your new idea for the project, to sell your boss on changing the current pay structure of your company, or even to sell your friend on which restaurant to eat at tonight. Sales is everywhere and it pays to embrace it, but at the very least, you should inform yourself of some basic sales strategies.
5 Basic Keys to remember when selling someone on an idea:
1. If you can make your idea seem like their idea, they will sell themselves!
Some people approach sales as a “Either I win, or you win” scenario. The fact is: the best sales people create win-win situations. This creates a less competitive environment and a more collaborative environment. The problem is, though, that when a decision must be made, many people immediately adopt this “either I win, or you win” attitude. Just because you have discovered a win-win situation, doesn’t mean that who you are trying to sell understands it that way. If you can ask the right questions and make the right statements that lead them to the “ah-ha!” moment of approaching your idea before you state it, they win! They came up with the winning idea! And then, of course, you also win.
2. Don’t focus on the features of your idea; Focus on the benefits!
No one cares that the new TV has 1080p resolution or picture-in-picture capabilities. No one cares that your favorite restaurant has gone green, is located by the movie theater, and takes reservations. These features by themselves don’t mean anything to anyone. Some people might be able to deduce the benefits for themselves, but why not help them get there?
-
-
-
With the resolution on this TV, you’ll be able to see each blade of grass on the football field. That means that when there’s a penalty, we’ll probably be able to spot it before the Refs do!Not to mention, with picture-in-picture, we can watch both of our favorite teams at one time even though they aren’t playing each other.
-
-
-
-
My favorite restaurant has gone green, which will allow us to eat healthier and probably make us live longer in the long run…which means even more eating! Not to mention, they take reservations, so we don’t have to worry about not having a table during rush hour and it’s right by the movie theater, so we can walk to the movie in minutes and we won’t miss even 1 of those previews you like so much!
-
3. When in doubt, tell a story!
If you’re having trouble convincing someone of something, tell a success story. Instead of describing how this decision will help them, paint a picture about how it’s helped someone specific in the past. It might be the extra imagery they needed to get over that fence they’re teetering on.
4. Objections are Opportunities!
Most people hate objections because they feel like confrontational head butts to your idea. The fact is, though, objections are opportunities. Objections allow you to answer questions more in depth, understand what someone’s concerns are, and redirect them to the benefits of your idea. Objections mean interest. When someone gives an objection, that means they’re interested in the offer and are thinking about how it would work for them. They are tryingto make your solution work for themselves, but they just can’t connect the dots yet. Someone with no objections is what you have to worry about. Many times, even someone’s concerns are based on faulty logic. Objections allow you to spot that faulty logic and correct it towards your solution. Objections you can overcome; lack of objections gives you no frame of reference to work from.
5. Don’t forget to Close!
You can’t get a sale without asking for it! Ask for the sale and close the deal. When you get rejected, keep pushing. Keep asking for the sale. Eventually, your friend will give in and go on that roller coaster ride with you.
The point is: Sales are not the devil.
When you are an ethical individual, sales is extremely helpful to every one involved. Fail to prepare and you will be preparing to fail. With some basic sales knowledge, theory, and strategy in your back pocket, you can become a leader in whatever industry or career you find yourself in.
Bootstrap-preneur 
Leave a comment