3 Ways Not To Sell

Salespeople and business owners typically engage their customers by trying to sell. The customer does not want to be sold. The customer wants value. How do you deliver value? This article outlines what this means for your business approach.

What the Customer Wants

The customer does not want a follow-up call from you asking if he or she is ready to buy. They are not saying it, but they are annoyed by such approaches. Why does your customer buy? They perceive value? They buy on the following terms:

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  • When they want something
  • On their timetable
  • With people they
  • Trust
  • Like
  • Perceive as valuable
    Salespeople typically try to persuade using charisma. Marketing people try to use advertising. Customers engage based on PR. Buy the book, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR by Al Ries to learn more. In it, you will find that PR is credible as a medium. Advertising is dead and ignored as a medium. People want substance rather than showmanship.

True Value

clip_image006Christmas is boring. We all have what we want and we go and buy what we want. Value in the new economy is intangible. In Love is the Killer App, Tim Sanders documents the three ways to connect and bring value to people in our world of too much. Here they are:

  1. Share Your Knowledge: What do you know? You can learn anything you want. Whereas information was scarce in the past, it is abundant today. The people who can turn information into knowledge are valuable. Become valuable to your clients by constantly growing through the books you read. Share your knowledge.
  2. Share Your Network: There are people you know that can help others. You may not be bringing them to the table to bring value. Learn to leverage your network and bring value to your customers. Become known as a resource. Your network is your net worth.
  3. Share Your Compassion: Do you care about your customer? Show it by not selling to them and bring value instead. What do they care about? According to Keith Ferrazzi, we all care about three things: our health, our wealth, and our kids. Bring value by speaking to these areas helpfully to your customer’s humanity.

Package your value through a PR Branding System which delivers your knowledge, your network and your compassion in a way that connects with your customer. It is a process rather than an event. It is hard work which is not optional in the new economy.

Want help learning how to position rather than interrupt people?  Click here.

June 2, 2008 · Filed Under Selling

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