The Secret To Sales Success Isn't What You Think....

Everyone working in sales wants to know the secret to sales success. How can you sell anything to anyone? We've all seen or met those sales people that you talk too, and then before you know it you've just bought something you didn't even realize you wanted!

Surely there must be a secret to that success, there must be something that they do that allows them to sell so well?

Is the secret to contact more people?

The more people you contact, the more opportunities you will uncover. Sometimes you will need to speak to 100 people to find 1 sale opportunity, at other times you may only have to speak to 10. It's simple math though, the more people you speak too, the more opportunities you're likely to uncover. However finding opportunities is only part of the process. If you can't sell properly, those opportunities are unlikely to convert, so this isn't the secret.

Is the secret to follow a sales process?

Winging it in sales may work some of the time, but most sales cycles follow a set process, so following this will help ensure you stand a better chance of converting. From prospecting, to qualifying, presenting solution, closing and them implementing, a process or guide keeps you focuses and driven on always trying to move the sale to the next step. Whilst a sales process is hugely beneficial, it won't guarantee you the sale and so isn't the secret either.

Is the secret to always close?

The famous sales phrase "ABC, Always Be Closing" is commonly used to motivate sales professionals to constantly look for closing opportunities. A sale isn't a sale unless it's closed. To be successful you should always look for the chance to close a sale, always look for buying signals and try you hardest to get them to commit to buy from you. Unfortunately pushing for the close can put some customers off, so whilst it is a key part of selling, it isn't the secret to selling anything to anyone.

Is the secret to have a perfect product?

Most sales people will dream of selling something that sells itself. Imagine trying to sell an iPhone? Yes it would be so much easier to sell something that people need or want, but then how do the great sales people sell things that people don't need or want! Having a good product certainly helps, but there will always be people that don't want or need your product.

Is the secret to be better than the competition?

You will always have competition, there will always be a company or someone out there selling the same thing as you for a better price or better deal. Competing is natural, and it is important in sales to make sure YOU add value to your product. Offering more than the competition again helps, but sometimes just speaking to someone at the right time or speaking to them first will get you the sale, even if someone else does something better or cheaper, so this isn't the secret either.

I've gone through a few common sales tips that are often focused on, but still no secret! Surely it must be.....

Is the secret to not actually sell?

A lot of people will say the secret to selling is to NOT sell. Instead sales people should support the customer in buying, providing a service and helping them find the right solution. Nobody likes to be sold too, and people buy from people, so by not trying to be some slick cheesy sales person, you may have a better chance of selling. The problem is, if you are only assisting people and not actually trying to get a sale, you will miss a lot of opportunities. You shouldn't sell to people as such, but the sale should always be what drives the process. So this can't be the secret to sales success because inevitably you need to be selling to sell!

So what is the secret??  

This is where some posts will then claim that there is NO secret to sales success!

But personally I believe there is...

The secret to sales to success is to love what you sell

If you look at the best sales people, the people that can sell anything to anyone, the secret to their success is the fact that when they talk to you about what they are selling, they love it! They make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread and they make you believe that you need it.

Think about something you love, something you really enjoy. Now think of a time when you've told someone about that and persuaded them to try it. Could be a TV show, film, song, sport, food, location to visit etc. You would have been so convincing because you loved it!

I had a friend who didn't drink tea, in fact they hated hot drinks. Now a few months later, guess who drinks a couple of cups a tea now every day?! I love a cup of tea, and probably drink more than I should. But because I loved it, and knew if they tried it that they might too, I kept on trying.  

And that is the secret to sales success. You've got to love what you're selling so much that you won't stop until other people love it as much as you do. That love will drive you to spread the good word, to make what you are selling sound so amazing and to really drive them to buy.

If you love what you are selling, you can sell it to anyone. Knowing that secret also means you can sell anything, as all you need to do is love it!

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