Selling: It’s About Service
April 15th, 2020 by Morna
I’ve had several different conversations with clients about selling in the midst of the coronavirus.
Is it ok to keep selling? Do I need to cut my prices because of the struggle people are having?
It really boils down to not feeling comfortable selling and knowing your value.
So I ask you, does selling feel uncomfortable or even scary to you? Particularly now?
No one likes to be sold to, and we all have opinions about people who sell. Do you know that Gallup® does an annual survey on honesty and ethical standards of people in a variety of fields? Car salespeople come in at the bottom of the list. Being from the DC area, I found it interesting that members of Congress and Senators fill the next two bottom slots.
If you go to that same list, what profession do you think occupies the top position? For the last 18 years, it has been nurses. I’m sure they’ll take the top spot again this year.
Why do you think that is? I think it comes down to the fact that nurses are compassionate, caring people and that comes through to their patients.
What would happen if you took this same compassion and care in “selling” to your clients?
Just because we are in the midst of a pandemic, doesn’t mean your customers do not need what you can offer.
It’s not hard. It just requires a mindset shift.
To me it is about providing a service to your clients or customers. You are not selling. You are providing a service and you are solving their problems.
Ask yourself and then ask your clients or customers, “How can I help you get to where you want to go?”
How do you do this? Here are three tips to turn your discomfort at selling into comfort:
1.
Listen to your customers. Learn what their problems are. Then you are able to help them with what you have to offer. It is about being authentic and operating in integrity. If you believe in your product or service, and in yourself, it is not hard to “sell” what you have.
2.
Know ahead of time what your customers’ objections are so you are able to combat them. It could range from price to not understanding how to use the product to not having the time to learn. If you have evaluated the benefits of your product, you will know the answers to these objections.
3.
Ask for the sale. It’s fine to talk with your customers, show or tell them how your product solves their problem, but if you don’t ask for the sale, you won’t get it.
Don’t be afraid to get a no. It just means you can move onto someone else.
You don’t need to discount your product because of the times we are in. Everyone needs to put food on their table, including you. It doesn’t serve anyone if you put yourself in the position where you will not be able to help people going forward because you keep cutting your prices.
The more you practice serving, rather than selling, your customer, the more comfortable and confident you will become.
It really does start with a mindset shift from “selling” to “serving.”
You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar
If you want greater success, start with helping others achieve more.
Jim Rohn
The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.
Peter Drucker
If you believe that you provide something that makes someone’s life better, you are doing them a disservice by not making them aware of it.
If you really believe that your products and services offer compelling value, you are doing yourself a disservice by not charging a price commensurate with that value.
It’s your turn!
Where do you get held back in the sales process and how do you get past it?
