People Buy From People They Like!

Hello,

How is your business today? For many that is a rough question in this economy and my heart goes out to any and all that are suffering in light of where we are at with jobs, the housing crisis and the stock market. For a moment, I want to focus on what sales people can do as opposed to how difficult this economy is making our lives. Remember in recessions, many people thrive and elevate themselves to incredible financial growth and success.

I reflect back to a pesky outside sales manager. I honestly thought he was a broken record player but he often told me that people buy from people they like. I did not truly appreciate it fully then but sometimes we retreat to our own little worlds and forget how to be likeable. What does that mean? It could mean a number of things but it does contain some of the following: enthusiasm, positive thought, ability to listen, follow thru, expertise on products and services, story telling, friendly spirit, genuine interest, kindness to all staff of a business and problem solving.

So how do you apply all of this? See Below:

1) Know the Product and Service you Sell Inside and Out: You can't help people make buying decisions if you can't show them a benefit or problem solved.

2) Understand your customers business inside and out. Know the issues they have and provide solutions that optimize their business or lives. Problem Solvers do not often compete on price because they deliver where it counts. They add value to the businesses that they serve. Ability to listen to the needs of clients and understanding of how your products meet those needs is a skill acquired by those that take the initiative to educate themselves about their own business as well as the businesses they serve.

3) Treat the entire staff in a business that you serve with the utmost kindness. If you don't you can bet they will be in the ear of the decisionmaker with negative feedback. This can never be underestimated. Also know about the lives of their families outside of the business relationship. It is a fact that people like to brag about what they do out of work, like families, kids, hobbies, sporting events..etc.

4) Model your sales approach to the following salesman: The Postive and Enthusiastic sales person that delivers on what he/she promises and that posess the ability to relate products sold to overcoming business problems and challenges is tursted and revered. Probably also making more money than everyone else.

5) Tell stories about how your products have helped your clients. This humanizes the product pitch relating it to real life people and situations where a product really made a difference is someone else's business and life. That is powerful!

Be Likeable! You might find it hard to believe but "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie contains a passage about how awful Abe Lincoln was before he rose to the ranks of President. There was a hard lesson learned in why it is important to be likeable that forever changed the course of human history. If you have never read this what are you waiting for?

Unitl next time!!! Be Likeable!