All businesses have one thing in common, and this thing determines whether they keep their doors open or closed.
Like the heart is to the human body, this thing is a critical facet to any company’s survival.
Regardless if it’s an auto dealership, an ice cream shop, a doctor’s office, or a martial arts school, if the organization doesn’t have a Sales process, the organization won’t stay operational long.
The sales process is generally viewed as a negative thing.
Usually, when a person thinks of a salesperson, they think of pushy, sleazy, dishonest, and manipulative character.
More often than not, the profession as a whole is looked at as something degrading.
As if the individual in sales couldn’t qualify for any other job.
But, this isn’t the case at all.
Salespeople are actually some of the most creative, intelligent, and optimistic people out there.
They’re also some of the toughest people out there.
Think about it – they face rejection DAILY.
Where most people give up after a failure or two, the salespeople experience it virtually every time they’re on the job.
And, to top if off, most work only on commission. Meaning, they only get paid when they succeed.
Now, with that in mind, I can understand where the negative outlook on sales comes from.
Those new to the profession often carry the wrong outlook and are hungry for the sale.
There’s a term to describe the way these individuals approach a prospect – Commission Breath.
Commission Breath describes a sales representative desperate for a deal.
They crave the commission so bad that their prospect “smells” it from a mile away. They’ll literally say or do anything just to get it.
Those with commission breath are coming from a selfish place and are likely not educated or confident in their product/service.
This way of going about the sales process is altogether bad for business, and those who practice it don’t last long.
A sign of a good salesperson is honesty.
Brutal honesty.
See, the entire selling process is a TRANSFER OF EMOTIONS.
If the salesperson is energetically coming from a place of lack, it’s going to be felt.
If the prospect ever FEELS like something is off, the sale simply won’t close.
And, if somehow it does, the customer definitely won’t be coming back or making any referrals.
Instead, they’ll feel regret for the purchase.
There’s even a term for this, called “buyer’s remorse”.
“In the sales profession, the real work begins after the sale is made.”
– Brain Tracy
People work hard for their money. So naturally, they want to feel good about spending it.
Good salespeople know that.
That’s why good sales people focus on the customer.
They ask strong questions, and they listen attentively.
Learning the pain points of their prospect, they decide whether or not what they have is the right solution.
If yes, they move forward by presenting the BENEFITS to the customer.
What they’re actually ‘selling’ is the RESULTS that the customer will experience.
Without much thought, one can see how if the results aren’t there – if the benefits aren’t experienced – how buyer’s remorse can take place.
The focus of a good salesperson is to provide VALUE.
To do this, the customer needs to be first.
The commission need not even be thought about – that’s just a result of value delivered.
It’s an inevitable consequence of the process done right.
So, regardless of what industry you’re in, sales is an essential skill.
No organization can survive without it.
If you want to be successful in your business, in your occupation, in your relationships, in your family life, you NEED this skill.
It’s the key to getting what you want – the key to freedom in a worldly sense.
The only way to get good at it is to have the right attitude about it.
And, to do that, one has to drop their personal wants, their desire for the commission.
Ultimately, their ego.
“A salesperson’s ethics and values contribute more to sales success than do techniques or strategies.”
– Ron Willingham