Psychology of Selling

'Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.'
David Starr Jordan

This page is based on several sources of information

• Sales experience
• NLP
• Psychology of Selling
• Training Seminars that I have attended
• Other tapes, books, etc.

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Selling

• Selling is the oldest profession in the world. (some say something else is, but that is a subsection of sales!)
• Sales is at the cutting edge, at the forefront of the business world. Without sales what would there be!
• Selling has no limits - no ceiling - no limit to how much you can earn ( & no floor)
• Selling is the art of persuasion.
• A sale can be defined as: ' transfer of enthusiasm (emotional commitment) into the mind and heart of the other (prospect)

Pareto Rule

• 20% of sales people generate 80% of sales
• Brian Tracy advises us to be in the 20% of the 20% ie. top 4% and then we never have to worry about money again!
• A study in an insurance company found that top sales people were earning up to 50 times the income as average sales people in the same company!!

Self Concept

• We all have a perception of who we are.
• Quite often these concepts, images, beliefs are not based on reality, but based on past experiences, filters, projections, self-limiting beliefs etc.
• The self concept limits us and sets a barrier.
• Build a new fresh self-concept
• Be a top salesperson - compare yourself with the top sales people

Fear of Rejection

• The main obstacle to sales is the fear of rejection. Most of us have it at a deep level.
• The most succesful salesmen/women know that a rejection is aimed at the product not the person.
• People unfortunately take rejection too personally.
• NO - means Next One or Next Offer

Self Esteem

• Self esteem is a key factor to being able to sell. Self esteem can be seen as - liking yourself.
• 'I like myself', Be confident, charismatic but not arrogant or vain.
• Self esteem is inversely related to fear of rejection. The more we like ourselves, the less we fear rejection
• The higher our level of self-esteem the quicker we get on with it!

Develop Resilience

• The best time to get a sale is just after you've already sold one. Therefore keep trying -asking, interviewing, calling etc.
• Too many only work enough to fall and then give up sales.
• If you fall, make sure you get up again, ...and again
• Don't take a non-sale personally
• Don't be resentful
• Don't dwell on the past
• Focus on the present and future (learn from the past)

Lets Be friends!!

• People buy people not products - if they like you they're more likely to like your product
• People want to be friends before they buy a product. Many sales take five visits / calls.
• People want to believe that you have their best interests at heart.
• Be yourself, know yourself, Accept yourself
• Enjoy yourself, don't lie / pretend
• Be warm and sincere.
• One definition of a healthy personality is one that gets on with the most number of different people (other personalities)
• Nobody wants to talk to a miserable, depressed, insincere person (unless they are similar or want to help)

Know your product & market

Believe in your product

Know the:

• attractive features of your product or service
• benefits of your product service
• reasons why prospect (client) should buy from you and not other competitors.

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Sell Dreams & Value

• Nobody buys a car or conservatory because they want one
• People buy the benefits, the value it will give them -
• eg. low petrol consumption, 0 - 60 in 5 secs!, comfort, or perhaps sitting, relaxed gazing at the stars, having a creative, inspired moment.

Selling Buzzwords

• Easy
• Entitled
• Qualified
• Money
• Improved

Motivational Factors

• People either move towards pleasure or they move away from pain
• Keep up with the Jones'
• Be different from the Jones'
• Be an people observer

Body Language - State of Body-Mind

• Only 7% of a conversation is through actual words being said!
• 55% is conveyed through body language
• 38% - is pitch, tone, pace of voice

• Have an open, good strong posture,
• don't hide behind clipboard,
• show palms of hands - indication of trust
• use pen to draw attention to things

Understudy clients body language - notice how people who have a good rapport with each other are in tune - eg. they pick up wine glass at same time for a sip, drink then lower, all synchronicity

State of Mind

• Be relaxed - accept yourself as you are
• Have a laugh, enjoy yourself
• Be aware of little bits of info
• Listen more than you Talk
• Be confident, have no fear of rejection
• Believe in Product, Believe in self
• NO - just means Next Offer, next benefit, until it becomes next customer
• Be honest - say you feel nervous if you do, or mention if it's your first week

NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming

When people are most relaxed, they tend to predominantly use one of the following mind methods

• Auditory - like to hear the sounds of words, 'the sound of the idea!' - 'I like the sound of that'
• Visual - like to see the picture, see how it will help them in the future - 'I see what you mean'
• Kinesthetic - need to get a hold on the situation, grasp the concept. feel the product - 'I feel for you'
  
  
• Obviously we use all three, however when most relaxed we predominantly use one of the above
• So be aware that different people respond and interact differently.
• To tell which one you are, work out whether you mainly 'like to get the picture', 'hear what I'm saying', or do you 'need to get a feel of things'
• The direction that the persons eyes move is also important -
• if people look up - visual, look sideways towards ears - auditory, look down - kinesthetic
• Also depending if people look up / down / left / right you can tell if they are creating what they are saying or if they are re-experiencing what hace actually done in the past

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Actual Conversation

• SMILE
• ENTHUSIASTIC
• XCITED

Flirty, happy attitude helps

• State of Body / Mind
• Understudy
• Seek don't convince
• Satisfy requirements

Opening - more important than closing -

• First impressions - First 10 seconds most important
• Be presentable
• Imagine that each person is a potential life long friend, for whom you would do anything and vice versa
• Hand Shake - start with neutral then soften / squeeze to match other person - gains subconscious rapport - have similar handshake, similar

Objections -

• agree, accept, empathise - don't try to avoid or step around like an assault course
• If this......is done.......then would you consider signing up / making an order?

Closing

• Sales people do really well until they get to the close. Then they panic and get stuck.
• Astonishingly most sales people fail to go for the close.
• Don't make the close into a big deal. Keep the conversation flowing as they sign. Crack a joke. (but be natural)
• In the conversation try not to use the word 'close', use get an order - do you like being closed?!

Trial Close

• This is used after a telling a benefit, to get the client used to saying yes.
• 'You would like that would n't you?'
• 'Shall I do that for you? '

Time offset

• Would you like to sign that now or in a moment?
• end result is the same, but option of time is up to customer

Consolidation

• "Do you have any questions?"
• The head office will send you a letter confirming that you have been advised correctly

After Sales

• Helps & good opportunity to hint about referalls
• Likewise don't use the word cancel (use 'Go Back')

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More tips

Ask questions

The more info you know the better - customers do work for you!

Open Possibilities for potential clients

• eg. Does ....... interest you?
• What does.......mean to you?
• Is........important to you?
• What would make you buy this.......?

Objections

• Preparation is protection
• Be ready for objections
• When people say 'let me think about it' or 'I have to talk with my partner, boss, family, parents' etc.

Selling vs. Telling

• Don't be a teller - telling all the features
• Be a seller - selling benefits and bringing in orders
• if you're telling, not selling, you're working for the competition - just priming up customers - ready for pick
• You miss 100% of all the clients you missed

Referals

• These keep a salesmen going in the long term - every person knows at least 2 people who would be interested in similar product / service
• eg . so from just 5 people -
• they tell 10 people, who tell 20, who tell 40, who tell 80, who tell 160, who tell 360 and so on - until infinity!!
• After a short while a good salesmen doesn't need to advertise - mostly referalls coming in
• so imagine the potential base from 100 people!!

Goal Setting

• Be Detached From the Outcome - Do your best but don't
• Set a target No. of presentations per day not the no. of sales.
• If you rely too much on actual sales you may get depressed anxious when your day doesn't start too well - this may have a negative spiral affect on your future sales for the day / week.
• Set a positive mind set. I am successful

Relationship with money

• Don't have a poverty mind-set. ie. don't think "I am not worthy of money"
• Affirm, " I am abundant"
• Money is not evil, the love of money is!!
• Remember money isn't everything - money is needed for food, clothes, medicine, shelter, travel but realize all other extra's (ie. fast car, new computer, latest fashions) just bring temporary happiness and not long term fulfillment. I am not saying don't buy new gadgets, clothes etc. but don't be attached to them - they are the icing on the cake - not the goal itself.
• Money is not the main goal. Success, Abundance, happiness, Fulfillment is more like it!
• Cut down the debts, but until you deal with the source of debts (ie. our insatiable craving & desire) you may always accumulate debt and thus always have to work hard

Motivation

• have a positive intention -to help all sentient beings
• I want to advise people on the best....
• I will make every person I see / meet smile

Gratitude

• Be grateful - to your customer, family, boss, Self, God

Dedication & Donation

• Donate at least 10% of your income to good causes ie. animals, people who are suffering & less well off

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keywords:

sales selling psychology success money

related books:

• The Psychology of selling by Brian Tracy
• Think Rich! Grow Rich!
• NLP, Richard Bandler
• SUSS, The 21st Century Way to sell your product, your service, or yourself! by Russell Webster
• Og Mandino, 'The most succesful salesman in the world' (bestseller)

related pages:

• SORT MY CAREER & SUCCESS OUT
• success
• stress relief
• money & happiness
• mastery of anything you love
• personality - know who you really are
• fear stops you from excelling
• breathing - release tension & anxiety
• meditation - inner peace
• communication & presentations Communication