Last week's ‘top tip’ for self-marketing and feeling OK about it was:
‘You are a limited company looking for clients, not an individual looking for a job’
This week, I want to focus more on the selling aspect. And the top tip is:
When I ask people what puts them off about selling, the conversation usually goes something like this:
“I don’t like bragging, badgering people into buying from me, coming across as arrogant, uncaring, ‘smarmy’ and anyway, it’s just not the ‘British’ way”
“Well that’s a good start”, I’ll say and then ask “and when was the last time you bought anything from someone who was like that?”
“I’d never buy from anyone like that!” they reply, horrified.
“So why do you think that is what you need to be like! Tell me, what sort of person do you buy from?”
“Well….someone who strives to understand me and my challenges. Someone who ask questions and really listens to the answers. Someone who has my interests at heart as well as their own. Someone who is honest and trustworthy. Someone experienced in addressing challenges like mine. Not a one trick pony, but someone who builds the solution that is right for me and my business. Someone who gets the job done rather than milking the day rate?” At this point, I usually find it hard to stop them.
“And are you like that?” I ask.
“Certainly!”
“Well carry on being like that then” is my statement of the blindingly obvious.
Selling is largely about taking people through the process of:
Identifying the problem
Analysing the causes
Designing solutions
Implementing those solutions to get sustainable results
In a way that suits them.
And at some point in this process, starting to charge them.
That’s a basic problem solving process, but for me, that’s what selling is all about – helping people solve problems.
