A sales mindset that works!

“If the client does not buy your sales approach, they aren’t going to buy what you sell.” – Unlocking the Sales Game, by Ari Galper 

If I were to ask you what image you have of a sales person, you’d probably respond with the words: over-bearing, aggressive, relentless, usually forceful in pushing for the sale, think they know what you want, wish they could put their hands in your pocket.

If you’re like me, you don’t want to come across like these people but if you’re a business owner, you are a salesperson!

Neuroscience has shown that our actions and behaviour is driven by things below the surface in the identity iceberg. To sell therefore, with the appropriate type of behaviour and actions that guarantee sustainable results, it is important to have the right mindset.

Mindset drives everything; including how successful—or otherwise—we are in making sales. We must let go of these traditional mindsets; “I must make a sale” and “sales is a chasing game” and “I must defend myself ferociously when there is an objection, approach or thinking.”

Our approach and mindset should be one of discovering the truth about your potential client’s situation, in the knowledge that you can help them come to a solution that you can uniquely provide. This mindset makes the sales process—right from the initial contact—critical to success.

“Often times the sale is lost at hello and not at the close,” says Ari Galper. 

If you have already created an irritating emotion at the very beginning of a sales conversation, it is very unlikely that the prospect will become you customer by buying from you. Now, what does that mean? First impressions matter a lot; impressions formed within the first 10 seconds of meeting a person can either make or break the sale. People buy from those they like!

Studies have shown that 20% of sales decisions are based on logic, while 80% is based on emotions. Sales is a mental game too!

Follow the first impression with the goal to build trust with the prospect. Trust emerges when people and organisations are driven by reasons that go beyond self-serving. This is where the question funnel comes in handy to help in finding out what the prospect’s real need or pain is. Your goal must be to properly understand the truth of the prospect’s situation in an environment of trust. Be mindful of signs of suspicion and/or rejection, pressure or discomfort from the prospect. Make the prospect feel comfortable by letting him know you’d walk away if you cannot solve his problem. View yourself as a problem solver and have humility – your manner in which you use your words and actions need to make the prospect comfortable with you in order to buy from you. 

Do not always expect the outcome to be your ‘next logical step’ – the prospect may not want to proceed if he has not yet built trust in you or your terms do not suit him. Keep the relationship warm and show empathy for his circumstances. Show him how you can add value to him after you’re clear about understanding what the problem is. 

Do everything possible to stop chasing prospects so as to preserve dignity. No one likes being hunted down – not even women during dating!

How About Objections? How do I handle them? 

To say you’ve never be faced with objections in the sales process, is to deny the truth. Your mindset and beliefs around objections affect the way you handle them and the final sales outcome. Rather see objections as; requests for additional information, or an opportunity to build trust as it is yet to be fully formed, or even the literal truth – they don’t need you. 

In the ActionCOACH Business Coaching, 5-ways to Massive Profits System, we start with Number of Leads multiplied by Conversation Rate. Whilst Marketing must generate the Leads it is the ‘Sales Process’ that ensures the Conversion. Business owners must track these numbers closely. Do you know your conversion rate for every stage of the sales process in your business? Are you tracking your numbers and reviewing the trends?    

Why don’t you speak to your ActionCOACH to help you set up the systems to track your conversion rate and support you with strategies to improve your conversion? On Conversion Rates alone we have more than 60 strategies you can use in your business. 

Sade Odunaiya, ActionCOACH Business Coach 

folasadeodunaiya.actioncoach.com | folasadeodunaiya@actioncoach.com 

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash