Sales people - don't miss these basics!

There are a few things in sales which we cannot afford to ignore. Through the years, I’ve found three absolutely golden rules about sales, and selling, for just about anybody. These are:

• Have conviction in what you sell. That can happen only if you believe in your product / service, and the company.

• It’s all about transferring the conviction. The key step to this is to ask relevant questions and to listen attentively. It’s like 10% talking, and 90% listening. Listen actively, and very carefully to the other person, and be sure you understand what they want and need. Understand their unstated motives. Don’t sit and wait for them to shut up so you can start your pitch again. Figure out whether what you’re selling can help, and how. We all know that people choose on logic, but buy on emotions. Ensure that you decipher the emotion at play.

• In case what you’re selling can’t solve the problem, recognize that. Don’t fool yourself - say so. That certainly will enhance your credibility, so that maybe you’ll get another opportunity later on… and, you have nothing to lose, because selling something that isn’t in the buyer’s interest, is just a future business problem waiting to happen.