Hate Selling?

Many people hate selling with a passion. Do you?

If so, you’re not alone. Why do we hate selling so much?

• Maybe we’ve gotten forced to sit through an awkward timeshare presentation where they really turned on the pressure tactics right in front of our kids.
• Maybe we’ve been ripped off by a dishonest salesperson and couldn’t get the money back.
• Maybe we’ve gotten befriended by someone only to find out that it was just part of their multi-level marketing program. That awkward dinner at their house pushed us over the edge into pure hatred of salespeople.

Here is the problem – one of the easiest ways to add income from home is to sell products or services. But if you hate selling, you’re going to avoid those options like the plague. And some of them are actually really good options. So the first objection you have to overcome in order to make money from home is your own objection to selling.

Here are five truths that might help you find a break-through:

#1. Fulfilling Demand Is Easy – Creating It Is Hard. The best salespeople find starving people and give them food. They sell things people really want. Everybody loves that type of salesperson. They simply fulfill existing demand. These smart sellers only work with people who have such a clear felt need, and true desire for the product, that the selling is easy. They’ve set themselves up for success as servants rather than scammers. We all hate the pressure tactics, the awkward questions, and the leading conversations that are part of an ugly selling process. Smart salespeople don’t participate in ugly selling.

#2. Only Sell What You Truly Believe In. Just wanting to make money, and being passionate about a product because the commissions will help your monthly budget, isn’t enough. If you’re going to speak with conviction and sincerity, then you’ve got to be a huge believer in what you’re offering. Frequently that means looking for deeper meaning and the impact of your product or service, not just the obvious utility. Will your product strengthen a family’s bonds? Will it give someone a second shot at life? Will it create memories that will last a lifetime? These are powerful motivators.

#3. People Under Pressure Do Stupid Things. Generally the “ugly” pressure tactics you’ve encountered in life are the result of a salesperson feeling a huge burden to make a sale. Maybe they’re broke and need the commission money to feed their kids, or maybe their boss said if they don’t sell something they’re going to get fired, or maybe they’re trying to win a contest or outperform someone else. You can avoid this entirely by putting yourself in a position to never act out of self-interest or urgency, and only act out of the best interest of your customers. If you try working for a company that creates these types of pressure situations, find a new opportunity.

#4. Listeners Make Great Salespeople. The best selling skill you can possibly cultivate is the skill of listening. Why? Because listeners hear what people need and can propose laser-beam focused solutions. Listeners hear whether someone is ready to buy, and if not, avoid any awkward sales pitches. Listeners let people articulate their need for a product, which results in them selling themselves. Listeners spend more time with prospects, which is one of the keys to selling. If you’re a good listener, you’ve got a great head start on being a good salesperson.

#5. Sales Is A Performing Art. No one expects a total rookie to be good at selling. Sure, it helps if you’ve been a courtesy clerk at a grocery store, worked at a restaurant, or in a retail store. Those environments train you to be attentive and helpful. But if you’re brand new to it, expect there to be growing pains. Give yourself permission to learn, find a product or service that gives you a good environment to learn in, and dedicate yourself to only using the ethical techniques.

If you use wisdom to evaluate both the industry you work in, and the people you work with, you’ll be off to a great start. If you vow to let your light shine through the sales process, and give yourself permission to start learning how to do it well, you can be successful without compromising your integrity.

Quick Question: Have you learned to overcome your objections to sales and marketing, or are you still struggling with it? Let us know what you think about selling – leave a comment below.