The #1Tip for Sales Professionals: Stop Selling.

In the world of sales, there’s one common misconception that many salespeople still hold on to: you have to sell your product in order to succeed. Yes, salespeople need to learn how to sell effectively so they can understand their customers and turn them into paying clients—but that doesn’t mean every conversation has to be an aggressive pitch where you try and close the deal right then and there. What if we told you that one of the best ways to become successful in your sales career was by doing less selling? Let us explain...

What should you do instead?

Start listening. Start looking for problems. Start building a tailored solution. Start giving value, and then Stop asking them for more of their time. Instead, start doing something you know they’ll want to take action on – immediately and without question. Something that will help them solve their problem (which is what you were just listening for). Something that will give them valuable information or resources in exchange for an email address or phone number. Something that will make it easy for them to say yes when you ask if they want your product or service. In short: stop selling, and start helping people get what they really need from you instead. This is how you sell anything. This is how you win over any prospect. This is how you build long-term relationships with clients who love working with you because they feel like you understand them and their needs better than anyone else does.

Actively listening

Give your client, customer, or prospect your undivided attention. Every once in a while, ask yourself, "Is my mind wandering?" Am I having trouble concentrating on what they're saying? If so, you're not actively listening. Although it may seem counterintuitive, learning to be a better listener can help you become more effective in sales and in any other situation. When you learn how to listen effectively, you'll find that people are much more likely to want to work with you. This is because when someone feels listened to, he or she feels respected and valued—which makes them feel good about themselves and about working with you. And as we all know, feeling good about ourselves is something we humans tend to enjoy doing. So if you're looking for an easy way to improve your ability to sell anything—from ideas to products—start by improving your ability to listen. Here's how: focus 100% of your attention on whomever you're speaking with; make eye contact; nod from time to time; and take notes. These four actions will show others that you value their opinions, which will make them respect and trust you more. The result? They'll be far more willing to buy into whatever it is you have to say!

How does active listening lead to selling? Let's say you're a salesperson who wants to sell your company's new widget. To do so, you'll need to convince your customer that it's worth buying. And how do you do that? By showing him or her how using your widget will solve a problem he or she has. So what are some problems that people often have in their business lives? Well, for starters: they don't know how to increase revenue; they don't know how to reduce costs, and they don't know how to get customers. If you want your prospects and clients to buy into your product or service, figure out which of these three issues is most important to them—and then show them how using your product will help them resolve that issue.

Be the problem-solver.

Instead of pushing your product or service on them, start looking for problems they have that you can solve. Start giving value without expecting anything in return, and watch what happens. Start building a relationship with them and bring advice and support in exchange for something else. Start asking questions instead of giving your pitch, and see where it leads you. Don’t just sell—be useful: People are more likely to buy from someone who’s helping them achieve their goals than from someone who’s trying to sell them something. Be useful by finding out what those goals are and how you can help them achieve them, then providing information or resources that will help make their lives easier. This approach is especially effective when selling to clients who already know you well and trust you as an expert. If they know you genuinely want to help them, they’re much more likely to listen to what you have to say. So stop talking about yourself and start talking about them. Stop showing off how great you are and start showing off how great they could be if they only did what you were suggesting. Then give them a way to do it. And don’t forget to ask for feedback along the way so you can improve your solution based on their needs!

Offer people a tailored solution.

Many salespeople come into meetings with a one size fits all mindset. They go in looking for a solution that will work for anyone who might be interested. Instead, you need to focus on your target audience, and tailor solutions to their unique needs. This will make them feel like you are actually listening to what they want out of their new product or service. And it will also help you avoid wasting time pitching something that doesn’t fit their needs.

When building tailored solutions, start by asking questions: what do they do? What are their goals? What problems are keeping them up at night? What would solve those problems? How can you help? Then, build a tailored solution based on these answers. It’s not about selling anymore; it’s about making sure they get exactly what they need.

Give away your best stuff.

Great salespeople don’t sell stuff, they help people solve problems. They listen more than they talk, offer advice freely and without pressure, and give away their best work for free. They offer value first, then sales later (if at all). Start doing that today. Say yes to your customers: Stop saying no to your customers. That might sound counterintuitive, but great salespeople don’t say no. Saying "yes" builds trust and shows that you have a problem-solving mindset—both of which are key to great customer service. Don’t be afraid to push back if something doesn’t make sense; instead of saying no, ask questions about what your customer wants or needs and how you can help them get there. Always focus on solutions, not problems. Your job is to help customers succeed with your product or service, not just sell it to them. Be genuine: Make sure every interaction with a customer feels natural and authentic. If you aren’t being yourself, customers will know it—and it will hurt your business in the long run. Practice selling on social media: It sounds silly, but practicing selling on social media is one of my favourite ways to improve my skills as an entrepreneur and salesperson. I find a product I like and post it on Twitter or Facebook, asking my friends what they think of it. Then I respond with why I like it, why others should buy it, etc. This helps me practice being persuasive while still focusing on providing value to others. No matter how much experience you have as a salesperson, there’s always someone out there who knows less than you do.

Ask people how you can help THEM?

People want to know that you’re interested in them. It makes them feel important and valued. So, when people ask for help, show some interest by asking how you can be of service. Then, make sure you can meet those needs—and you’ll win over even more clients. Remember: don’t just tell people what they need; show them what they need with real-world examples from your own experience. When you have a track record of success, it becomes much easier to sell yourself as a valuable resource.

Your product/service is not good enough? Sometimes, people will take one look at your product or service and decide it’s not good enough—or not right for them. And that’s fine! But if someone doesn’t want to buy something because it isn’t good enough, then do everything you can to find out why it isn't good enough. This way, you can work on making it better—and then offer it to them again in a few months (with an apology). If they still don’t want what you have to offer, don’t sweat it. There are plenty of other customers who are ready and willing to pay for your services. Learn from those who say no, so you can be more successful with those who say yes.

What's holding you back? It could be any number of things: Fear. Laziness. lack of confidence. A bad attitude. But whatever it is, there’s a solution—and it’s usually not as hard to overcome as you might think. So, if your business isn’t growing as fast as you want it to, take a step back and figure out what’s holding you back from achieving your goals. Then, work on fixing that problem so you can move forward with renewed focus and energy. After all, there are plenty of people who will be happy to buy what you have to offer once they see how much value it can bring them. Your job is simply to get those people in front of your product or service!

Why do they need your product/service? If someone doesn’t see how valuable your product or service is to them, then why would they buy it from you?

Conclusions?

Sell with persuasion, but leave it at that. Stop asking them for more of their time. Instead, start listening. Start looking for problems. Start building a tailored solution to fit their needs and goals. Start giving value—this is when people see you as a resource. Stop pushing yourself on others; allow them to want to spend time with you. . Stop coming in with a pitch. Instead, start doing this: Start listening. Start looking for problems. Start building a tailored solution to fit their needs and goals. Stop asking them for more of their time. Instead, start doing this: Start listening. Start looking for problems. Start building a tailored solution to fit their needs and goals. My #1 tip for salespeople: stop selling. Stop being pushy. Stop trying to be so persuasive. Stop asking them for more of their time. Instead, start doing this: Start listening.