I agree with the statements “You need Sales for everything,”
and “Everybody is in Sales”, okay, but gee, there are too many unprofessional
salespeople who say irrelevant stuff just to keep the conversation going. These
are people who like to nag on and on about their products, or sometime even about
their personal problems. Adding words in your explanation is not going to help
you sell better. In most cases it would backfire right at you. I know the
technique that some salespeople employ to intentionally share their personal problems,
not so much to take the opportunity to lighten their emotional burden, but to establish
trust (that they can share their intimate problem with you) or make a pitiful
image (give me your money, any amount, so that you don’t walk off with guilt).
I don't intend to give critics on Salesmanship, but it made me thinking: “Do we Marketers sound the same?”
Don’t Brag
A feature is a feature is a feature. It can be tested and verified. Intentionally exaggerating your offer is the same with giving false promise or lying. Your customers may be lazy or ignorant, but they are not stupid. People will know the truth after they made the purchase. You don’t want to be caught as a braggart (bragging is not an art) or a liar because nobody will buy from you again. Don’t lie, unless you are in the line that doesn’t need a referral or repeat customer.
A pitch that is “too good to be true” may sound good for the sellers’ ears, but it raises red flags on the buyers’. Don’t focus your energy to tell a better story. Tell the story better.
Don’t Nag
We love our mothers, but boy, we hate it when they nag. Now imagine a stranger throwing commercial nags at you. You would probably choke them until they passed out if there are no legal consequences. Don’t repeat the same thing over and over, it gets boring really quickly. Okay, you can repeat the critical information once at the end of your material, but that’s about it. Don’t be a nagger, and don’t the other six letters N-word as well (it’s ‘newbie’).
The teacher or drill sergeant who punished you with a hundred repetition has long left the building, and you definitely should not punish your prospects or customers with your repetitive nags. Repeating something three times mean you don’t have any other good things to say about your offers. If you have heard “work smart, not work hard”, you should be smart enough to “talk smart, not talk hard.”
Don’t Beg
It simply looks weak. People are attracted to strength, not weakness. You can be meek yet respected, but you can’t be weak and expect to be revered. Nobody likes to deal with a corporate beggar; and don’t be a one, otherwise you are just a lousy bugger with a silk tie.
If people don’t need or like your offers, they won’t give their money to you. Live with that reality. Look for a new customers, or make a better offer. Some of the soft-hearted may help you, but you can only live on mercy so much, you can’t live on pity.
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