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Stop Selling Now!

Written by: Riley Cardwell

Article Overview: Who says selling is the key to success? Who says selling has to be hard? You might never view sales the same way again after realizing that it's all about something much more important.

Stop Selling Now!

We’ve heard about and seen books and audiotapes that promise to turn us into champion sales people. A lot of these books and tapes even claim to have certain “secrets” that we can’t do without if we want to succeed in business.

And yet so many of us who buy those books and tapes fail to achieve what the authors promise. Why?

The reason is simple. A lot of the time we’ve bought the books or tapes in the first place because we’re at a point in business where financially our back may be against the wall. Whether we’re just starting out, or have been in business for a while and hit a slump, we’re gripped with a feeling of desperation. We might even be saying to ourselves, “I’ve got to close some sales to pay the bills.”

However, when we come from this point of view and try to sell, it rarely works. People sense our desperation and choose not to buy. This of course only intensifies our feelings and panic may even set in.

Anyone who has been in this place knows how difficult it seems to get out of it. And yet it is critical to break out to succeed. But how?

First and most importantly, stop trying to sell. It’s vitally important not to look or sound like you’re selling. Focus on your product or service instead of your own needs. This in itself will redirect you in a way that will shift what you’re communicating to your prospective customer. Next, focus almost entirely on the wants and needs of your customer.

Listening is the key! But stop listening to the voice in your head that says you need to close a sale now, and instead listen fully to what your prospective customer is telling you.

Listening for their problems and complaints is the single most important thing you can do. Why? Because these are the steps to the sale!

Here’s the real definition of selling – helping people make a decision that’s best for them. Since most people have a hard time making up their minds about anything, it’s up to you to help guide them to that decision that will most benefit them. And that usually involves your product or service, doesn’t it? But you can’t do this until you’ve stopped the chatter in your own head long enough to hear what their complaint is in order for you to propose the best solution.

Getting your own needs and income out of the way is hard. But it’s difficult to get something when you really need it. Wanting in life usually works far better than needing. So remember, stop needing to sell something. Want to help others first, and help yourself in the process.

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Related Forum Posts
Decide your market first - Stop for a second and decide exactly who it is that you want to sell your product to. Once you've done this you'll have a far better idea of where to find them and what it is that they're interested in Cheers
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).
Re: Kevin's Case Study #10 - When to become an entrepreneur? - When the bug bite you. A lot of successful entrepreneurs started in their teens or at school. Selling sweets to fellow students or lemonade to firends in the neighbourhood.
Re: This is Marketing Warfare! - Hey GT, I guess this was from a while back, and it'll test your memory a bit but could you possibly elaborate on Unique Selling Proposition? Can you give us some examples of good USPs?
Blog pinging - Thanks Martin - yes, I do ping and it has been very effective. I'm currently on the first page of Google for Mastermind Group and on the second page for Selling to Small Business.


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