Selling Without Sales Pressure

 Selling without sales pressure is not only possible we feel it’s the only way to go.

Unless you are a Donald Trump, people will not typically allow a person they know push them around –especially if that other person is in sales.

Before you turn away in disbelief let’s take a quick look at the your ‘target market’. 

Guess what; no matter what industry, or field you are selling to - your target market is made up of people, and people honestly do not like to be ‘sold’ (they love to purchase but not be ‘sold’).

People welcome interaction and communication. People want to be respected and people need to trust the sales person they’re interacting with.

A lack of trust will bog down a transaction faster than you can get Montezuma’s revenge in Mexico.

So let me ask you again; do you feel that a person who feels sales pressure from you is going to trust you?

Humans can typically focus on one thing at a time, and just as fear does not permit a person to make an intelligent decision - neither does pressure bring out a warm and fuzzy feeling in prospects.

Trust brings out the warm and fuzzy feeling.

Haven’t you walked away from making a purchase of your own when you felt that the salesperson was more interested in his outcome than he was in helping you solve the problem purchase was intended to address?

Sure you have…

People have so many more choices in products and services in today’s marketplace they only need to open one eye to find a sales person ready and willing to provide what they want on their terms.

Add to that truth the fact that there are also more choices than ever on the avenues people can take to buy. Internet, catalogs, retail, barter, factory outlets, etc.; are all literally at people’s fingertips these days.

Treating people like Kings and Queens is the only thing that usually missing from these competitors and this offers you the savy salesperson a genuine advantage.

Let me ask you a question: If you managed to get in front of a King or Queen would even dare try applying ‘sales pressure’ on them? Not on your life!

Instead of sales pressure apply respect and a genuine interest in their best outcome –even if that means recommending your competition!

Asking intelligent questions and honoring their time means much more than backslapping and asking about their golf swing.

Your job is to build relationships – especially long term relationships. Taken a step further –your ultimate quest is to become their ‘most trusted adviser’.

Once you achieve that status, ‘price‘ will almost always stop being an issue. People will pay more for the services and products from someone they trust. That’s a fact.

The speed of the sales process will also accelerate, the ease of negotiations is greatly enhanced, referrals come fast and furious. Any one of those benefits are worth their weight in gold. Combined they will change your career forever!

Any decent coaching in sales must update it’s message to embrace these truths.

Sales people who have not earned their prospects trust must compete on price and that’s a road to nowhere. Once price becomes the defining issue your product/service has become nothing more than a commodity. Unfortunately commodities are always purchased at the lowest possible price and therefore are always making for ongoing tough completion.

That type of sales is grueling, offers no satisfaction,  and far fewer reoccurring sales. Using sales pressure while cold calling is wildly ineffective and any sales training that advocates it is plain dumb.

Sales pressure is a dinosaur. Sure you still see it from time to time –more likely than not from some sales rookie who has been hired solely to milk his circle of influence (a favorite ploy of the life insurance industry), or by some  sleazy car sales person. 

Anyway you already know that applying sales pressure is zero fun, and does not measure up to your values or intregrity. It is also growing less and less effective as prospects become ever more educated to what great sales people are supposed to be doing.