The Painful Old Way of Selling

If you have been in sales for a number of years – and have faced rejection when making sales calls – you will recognize these 7 painful selling mistakes.  This information will be an “Ah-Ha” moment for you.

If you love what you do and deeply believe in what you sell, but you are still unconsciously using sales behaviors popular back in the 80’s and 90’s, you are going to burn leads rather than create them.

The spotlight for the last few decades in selling has been all about how to “close” a sale. But not a word about the risk you take by sacrificing the relationship for the pursuit of the sale.

Ironically, when you shift your mindset to a place where your main focus is on creating trust, the sale comes to you without the pain.

Here’s a primer from Ari Galper on our sales mindset – with seven painful old sales mistakes:

1.)  OLD Sales Mindset:  Always start out with a strong sales pitch.

NEW Sales Mindset: Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.

2.)  OLD :  Your goal is always to close the sale.

NEW : Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.

3.)  OLD :  When you lose a sale, it’s usually at the end of the sales process.

NEW: When you lose a sale, it’s usually at the beginning of the sales process.

4.)  OLD:  Rejection is a normal part of selling, so get used to it.

NEW: Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.

5.)  OLD:  Keep chasing prospects until you get a yes or no.

NEW: Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.

6.)  OLD:  When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them.

NEW: When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.

7.)  OLD:  If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and explain its value.

NEW:  Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.

What do you think about the “Old” versus the New way of selling?  Please share your opinion by posting in the comment section below.

2 Responses to “The Painful Old Way of Selling”

1. Meredith Bell says:

   July 29, 2010 at 8:55 pm

   Ari Galper has been a favorite source for the truth about selling for me for the past few years, Ann. Glad you shared these 7 tips. People who operate from a place of integrity will be relieved to use this approach if they’ve been caught up in the old way of selling!
   Meredith Bell´s last blog ..Lessons about Life from My Family Reunion

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   • Ann Barr says:

     July 29, 2010 at 9:21 pm

     Meredith, thank you for posting your comment. Ari’s tips are like a breath of fresh air – so different from the old sales training methods. Instead of a “sales pitch” and “going for the close,” which cause pressure, starting a conversation and finding out if there is a fit makes much more sense.

     Ann

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