A trick to selling more.

Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will but remember it didn’t work for the rabbit.
-R.E. Shay
A question is circulating amongst the ranks of sales people all over. It is asked of sales managers, trainers, teachers and motivators alike. The question is realistic and sounds something like this: “I am a pretty good salesperson now, but I want to get better. What is the trick to selling more?” The question is a natural one. As technology continues to explode, we are gradually beginning to believe that anything can be engineered to run faster and do more with less effort. Can it?
Technology is more fashionable and amazing than ever. Consider the trends. “Brick” phones are so out of date I’m embarrassed to talk about them. Today’s phones are powerful, compact, cool and weigh only ounces. With home computers and laptops, more memory now costs less. If we can actually send information instantly over a light beam to the other side of the planet, then why wouldn’t we expect an easier way to sell? After all, I can catch a flight from Sydney to Buenos Aires and get there the day before I left.
Why can’t a trick exist today to sell more with less work?
Let’s take a look.
The quest for tricks or shortcuts in selling is an old one. It has existed as long as the craft itself. Meticulous tests have searched every angle for new, quicker, faster and easier ways to sell. Sales people themselves occasionally conduct field tests. I am fortunate to have a personal reading library stocked with magnificent books. As I review their pages, I am constantly reminded of a major truth. With hundreds of titles and literally tens of thousands of pages, test results are the same. In the history of man, only one trick holds the key to success in sales and success in life itself. It is stitched into every page of every book. Every veteran sales manager knows it. All studies reflect it. Sales masters have it memorized and recite it upon request. It boils everything down to one thing: The trick is that there ain’t no trick. While technology may replace last year’s gadget, right now technology can’t replace the human element in the fundamentals of selling. Why? Because selling is more than pre-printed form letters, auto responders and high-tech PDAs. Selling is not so much about snappy PDAs, trendy Web sites, and Blackberries as it is about hot coffee, warm people and good handshakes. If selling were a technology, then sales
would automatically increase as technology increases. Unfortunately, sales don’t automatically increase as technology increases. Why? Because technology is a tool. Selling is a skill performed in an emotional arena. Technology can’t overcome an objection. It doesn’t sense the customer on the fence. Technology can’t empathize with situations or maintain direct eye contact, read body language or build common ground.
Selling is not a technology.
Selling is an art.
U.S. heavyweight collegiate wrestling champ Doug Kinney pinned the issue when he said, “If you want to win, you gotta dance with the one that brung ya.” This simply means dance with the fundamentals that have always worked and will always work - timeless basics that bring you personal success every day.
So, what are the fundamentals in selling? Good question.
First of all, you must be willing to do the work.
Embrace the Internet. Use PDAs. Use email. These things help you stay competitive. But don’t forget that great sales people adopt fundamental work ethics that others won’t. Come to work to work. While others talk with the talkers, you can counsel with doers. While others plan parties, polish your selling skills into smooth syncopated salesmanship. World-class sales people don’t just fall into sales anymore than world-class divers just fall into a pool. Work on your dreams. Romance your dreams. Talk about your dreams, and never associate with dream stealers.
Secondly, you must realize people don’t buy what it is; they buy what it does.
Master sales man Ron Popiel doesn’t sell what his Ronco rotisserie oven is. He sells what it does. He never mentions temperature or how it’s assembled. “It cooks a twelve pound turkey with less energy that it takes to operate a hair dryer!” He sells “a standing rib roast! The steaming tray!” He sells health, ease of operation, simplicity and value. Value is what people buy. How many ovens do you have? One large? Maybe a microwave? Maybe a toaster oven? That’s three. Watch out - Ron will sell you a fourth.
Great presentations will never go out of style. Sell what it does.
Thirdly, you must love what you do.
Do you love your work? Do you believe in what you sell? Challenge yourself to be your best. People that love their work make more, live longer and have happier lives. Loving your work generates believability - a key element in sales. Love your work, and love your customers. In the movie “Jerry McGuire,” the late great Dickie Fox said, “You gotta love ‘em before you sell ‘em.” People don’t care what you know until they know you care. When people know that you care, you become a success magnet. See every customer with a flashing sign on his or her chest that says, “Make me feel special.” Bad sales people see customers as a hassle. Great sales people see customers as referrals. I once heard a customer say to a master sales person, “I was going to buy it the whole time. I just wanted to watch you sell it to me.” Understanding the real trick empowers you to convert shoppers into buyers while others hide in the bushes and watch. People listen to masterful sales people. Don’t you?