“All master salesmen know that ideas can be sold where merchandise cannot. Ordinary salesmen do not know this – that is why they are ‘ordinary’.” – Napoleon Hill
Way back in 2002, when I read the above words in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, I resolved to do ALL in my power to become a “Master Salesman”.
Today, at the risk of sounding immodest, it is on record that I have repeatedly and routinely risen/bounced back from numerous failures, to achieve greater successes, selling all manner of mainly “intangibles” [ e.g. my growing range of Digital Cash Flow Generating Assets (DCFGA)™, club memberships, affiliate partnerships etc] to mostly total strangers, from different countries who never even meet me in person!
Over the past 14 years, I’ve honed my skills of persuasion, an uncanny knack for “smelling” sales opportunities, combined with my infectious enthusiasm driven by an undying passion for what I do, to win buyers over from within and outside Africa.
Several clients and some relatives/friends have told me I have the ability to convince to do almost anything I want: One of them (after taking up yet another email offer from me) wrote that he sometimes felt I used MAGIC on him!
Another once told me she feared I would one day get into trouble with the way I seemed able to get people to part with money in exchange for mostly non-physical stuff – which she personally did not consider as valuable as what I’d told her they paid.
But THAT is what makes the difference i.e that last statement captures the core essence of what it means to be an AUTHENTIC Master Salesman…
You see, a Master Salesman knows and understands that his/her IDEAL target audience can simply NOT include everybody – least of all, especially, his/her relatives – with few exceptions.
Instead, s/he will have a finely developed ability to quickly and accurately identify people, prospects, potential buyers, who fit a clearly defined target audience profile s/he has conceived for selling EACH and every product/service IDEA s/he offers.
It is that crystal clear vision of WHO s/he needs to attract, that will guide the efforts s/he then proceeds to make to SELL.
So, in the case of my protesting and concerned relatives or friends, most never fit what I considered the profile of my IDEAL target audience for the stuff I did. As a result, their opinions never really matter to me.
I did not snub them however. Instead, I often patiently heard them out, and gently tried to point out the above mentioned considerations. But most times they did not listen, so I resorted to politely telling them we could agree to disagree. And when that did not help, I simply tuned them out if they persisted in talking about it.
Now here’s the message to take away from this article:
Many people will often have an opinion about what you do, or are trying to do.
Human beings are very funny, however, because too often I’ve heard persons who lacked ANY real world relevant knowledge and/or experience of a particular subject/issue or vocation/business, voice extremely passionate views to convince someone actually DOING it, that s/he was on the wrong path!
And they actually expected him/her to take them seriously.
Quite often this happens when they are being approached by the other person for help e.g. the new struggling entrepreneur with an unproven idea, who needs funding to implement his/her plans.
During this phase when the latter needs their money, for instance, to do make his/her idea work, they assume the fact that s/he has come to them means they are SMARTER than s/he is. And they often try to even tell him what to do and how to do it.
But no expert worth his/her salt allows others DICTATE to him/her in his/her area of expertise: THAT is a recipe for “selling” suicide!
Once they start telling you what to do, they’ll stop thinking you have anything they need!
You cannot take orders from those you offer your solution(s) to, with regard to HOW to do WHAT you offer to do for them.
What makes you the expert if you accept to take orders like an employee?
If they knew the SOLUTION to their problem, they would NOT need you!
Yes, they can – and should – have an input, but YOU must be in control, GUIDING them to use the solution YOU have developed.
Otherwise why did they hire you? {I say all this based on the argument that even when you’ve sold once to a client, you can – and should – still aim to up sell to them]..
How you handle yourself during this post-first-sale period will determine if you’ll earn repeat sales you want and need from your clients.
No matter how big, successful or bossy a client is, YOU must assert yourself and act like a dignified professional in dealing with him/her at all times.
Failing to act like the EXPERT AUTHORITY you are expected to be, is unlikely inspire MORE confidence in the client, to make him/her buy more or again from you!
To sell more, repeatedly, you need to assert yourself. Focus on telling…better still SHOWING…what your products/services can do for the client. S/he will listen and RESPECT you, when you do that. More often than not, THAT will result in a SALE!
There is a difference between trying to be humble and accommodating, and simply lacking experience based competence and confidence.
When you have competence and confidence, you KNOW your stuff, and asking for help will NOT make you feel ANY different about your abilities!
This is what a Master Salesman has, and s/he knows it is the key to his/her success!
Those s/he interacts with, those who encounter him/her OR any sales and marketing messages s/he creates and propagates FEEL it – and it WINS THEM OVER!
The reverse situation is what makes some salesmen ordinary. They LACK the above described knowledge and insight based competence and confidence.
…and just like it happens with Master Salesmen, those they (i.e. ordinary salesmen) interact with, those who encounter them OR any sales and marketing messages they create and propagate, FEEL it = and most times, it REPELS THEM!
The Master Salesman knows the above truths. The “ordinary” one does NOT: Do NOT be an “ordinary” salesman!
Final Words: If you want to sell successfully, for the long term, it goes without saying that you NEED to aim to become a Master Salesman.
This article has supplied useful experience based tips and suggestions you can use to get started. To learn more click here to contact me.
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