There are many myths about sales and with some people these myths sometimes become truths that makes it difficult for us, writes Christer B Jansson in this article.
Myth 1. Good products and services sell themselves.
It is also not true as even good products and services need a voice that says they exist. Today, with the internet and increased transactional sales, the voice becomes marketing via various channels so that people can come and shop online. Some of these goods and services need human support when the customer has questions and then there is a trained person who you can talk to online. As sales is proactive and order reception is reactive, these are by definition not sellers in my host but order receivers who are trained in sales to be able to make a positive difference for the customer. Perhaps a semantic question but I think it is important. Sales is a proactive process.
Myth 2. To be successful as a salesperson, you must have a positive attitude.
Being positive extends life, I’ve read but never seen any strong correlations between being positive you sell more. If, on the other hand, we polarize the whole thing and you are negative, it will affect sales if it shines through in the business dialogue with the customer, likewise if you are so negative that you do not book any meetings at all. But it is perfectly possible to be a very successful salesperson and have a normal mood. You don’t have to charge up and be positive every day, A reflection: Are there any other jobs you say the same thing to? You have to be positive as a surgeon or it will go to hell! Do you say that to an accountant? What is it about sales that is so dj….. hard that myths like this pop up? Make customer visits, create contact, talk business, needs and solutions and it will go great as long as you hit the right spot, and enough customers. This thought that you must be positive has a strong correlation to the sales obstacle role denial, that is, it is shameful to be a salesperson.
Myth 3. Prospecting as a salesperson is demeaning and unprofessional.
I don’t prostitute myself and start calling. Customers should understand the competence we have and contact us. A company with this attitude told me that we are leaders in this subject (true or false) so if we were to call customers we would be perceived as simple salespeople. We are Sweden’s gurus in this field so they should call us, not us them. The problem was that it didn’t ring enough. We can say that most of their investment was in various advertising activities and they could perhaps imagine that someone booked the visits for them. Ideally, the customer/prospect would come to them. Strong connection to the sales obstacle “Hyper Professional”.
Myth 4. Our company does not sell, we are advisors.
A myth that characterizes an entire industry throughout the world with a few exceptions. The myth is strengthened by the control authorities consider necessary in this industry. However, many of these advisors have a budget every month so whatever they call themselves, they work in sales. If they realize that then it is less of a problem but if they think selling is not ok and use the concept of adviser to hide their intentions, that is to sell, we get a problem of reduced sales. This myth has a connection to the obstacle of role denial.
Myth 5. We don’t sell, we are consultants, but we have a sales budget every month.
Located in the same district as above and has a connection to the sales obstacle “we are too nice to sell and prospect”, as it feels degrading and/or the sales obstacle role denial – it is shameful to sell. Many people today have a competence that allows us to work as consultants. We can be lawyers, accountants, management consultants, sales trainers and customers buy our expertise. That competence needs to be sold in order for you to be elected or for you to find assignments where you can contribute. Part of the working time is sales, even if by definition you are not a salesperson. But there are more professions that sell – not just salespeople. I got an auditing company to get all of its managers, that is, in this company – those who have customer contact and make one customer visit per day for a year. At that meeting, it was enough for them to talk about what they can help with after they asked the question “What challenges do you have in the coming year or work where you might need professional support”. That year, this auditing firm doubled its turnover. So of course we work with sales part of the time even though we have a different title and sell our skills.
Myth 6. We’re not trying to sell, we’re building relationships.
Doesn’t all sales do that – build relationships, as we want the customer to come back and buy more? Then some sales are more complex than others and require more of the joint relationship due to the complexity and risk of the deal. Risk is not only financial, but can also be about a risk to my or the customer’s career. It is even the case that transactional sales build relationships, but then more with the brand, i.e. branding, becomes very important, but hopefully we all build relationships in sales. However, we still need to sell. Some people tell me they are relationship sellers, whatever that means, because when I ask that question, I get very different answers. Most often it has to do with the sales obstacle “indecisiveness”, an inner conflict that makes it feel like I’m intruding, perhaps taking up too much space, afraid of being perceived as too aggressive and even salesy, so instead I wait for the right opportunity, and many with that problem are still waiting today. Of course we build relationships and sell – it goes well together.
Myth 7. We don’t sell, we build friendships.
Is a variant of myth 6 and has largely the same message. We make friends for life and should they buy too or is it enough to be friends if now I want it? Is it the case that the people employed to build friendships also have a revenue budget they need to meet every month? Yes, you probably understand where my thought is going.
Nothing wrong with becoming friends with your customer if that happens, if you don’t suffer from the sales obstacle “protecting friends”, then the risk is that you will stop selling to this customer and that the company will lose this customer as the business relationship has been replaced by a friendship relationship.
Myth 8. Remember – each reference is worth EUR X, each phone call is worth EUR Y.
Learn to love being rejected and being rejected.
No, it’s not something you need to learn to love and it definitely won’t lead you to sell more. Visiting the right people and businesses that have a need for what you offer increases the chance that you will do business that helps your customer with whatever it is. Being turned down does not mean that you are rejected, but that the prospective customer for some reason does not think it is worth the price or they do not need your product or service. It could also be that a competitor did a good job and was ahead of you. Depending on what you sell and how your company’s sales process looks like, you will get more or fewer “no” in your work, and the more skilled you become, the more “yes” you will get.
