For a large part of the population, this word represents a feared and/or hated territory, to be avoided at all costs.  But the truth is the cost of avoiding ‘sales’ can be excessively high.
Think about your best and worst sales experiences, from a customer point of view.  The worst case scenario is usually when a salesperson is pushy, talks too much, doesn’t listen to your concerns and, above all, wastes your time.  Politeness often makes people reluctant to cut someone off even if they fall into this category of salesperson.

The best sales experiences are usually those where a salesperson listens to your needs (or anticipates them) and points out a couple of options that might be right.  It’s likely that you can recall some personal experiences along these lines; both the positive and the negative.

Cultural POV
Culturally, there seems to be a perception of salespeople that leans towards the negative, at least for people who aren’t directly engaged in sales activities.  But why?  As consumers, we make purchases all the time: surely not all of these experiences are negative.  Perhaps it is just that we only recall the negative ones, or that the positive ones don’t seem to fit into the category of ‘sales’.

Now, what are your worst and best experiences from the sales view?  Never been in sales?  That is highly unlikely.  ‘Sales’ is a ubiquitous phenomenon.  From a job interview, to applying for a bank loan, to direct sales, to marketing, to any and all client interactions – it’s all sales.

Inescapable force
The driving force behind almost every business is sales.  If you work for a company that provides any kind of product or service, then your job depends on sales.  If you own a business that generates revenue through clients, your business depends on sales.

It doesn’t matter if you are the only insurance broker or lawyer in town, or if you are the only merchant to carry a highly prized brand – your clients will find other options if they feel that you fit into the worst case scenario of sales.

Great listening skills
The prevailing thought about sales today is that you should listen more than you talk – this is some very helpful advice that can help you in your direct and indirect sales efforts.  The idea is that you should listen more than you speak.  Don’t try to prove to your client that you are the expert; that will come out through the short, precise questions that you ask.  Get the other person talking and apply your knowledge to their specific situation rather than taking the opportunity to demonstrate your abilities.

This is advice that can help in all aspects of business, from the most direct to the least obvious aspects of sales.  When you are the customer it is your time to talk because you hold all the cards.  As the provider of a service or product, you never hold the cards.  It might seem like you do, but there are always others out there willing and able to sell to your disgruntled clientele if you fail to meet their needs.

There is a lot more to a successful sales strategy than just listening to your clients – like knowing your products/services/company – but if you overlook that crucial element, the rest might not matter.  Keep in mind that your role might be an important part of the sales cycle whether it’s an obvious one or not.  Do your best to listen to your client’s needs and address them.

By Ivan Larcombe