What is Sales?
Sales always partnered with money or income.
For buyers, they think it’s like a nightmare when they walk passed on a shop and a guy at storefront will offer them a product or service. Buyers will automatically ask the price first and hoping the salesperson will not insist on the product especially if it’s not around their budget. Some buyers don’t want to be followed on a dress store by a sales lady because of having the fear of making the wrong decision of purchasing out of embarrassment or pride.
Now for sellers, they often believe that as long as they got the money out of the buyers’ pocket, no matter what the result, then it’s a success.
So what is sales? What is the core definition of it? Is it really only about buying and selling? Trading products or services with the amount of money? Before we dig on to that, let’s have first the lists of the misconception of sales:
1. Anyone Can Be a Salesperson or was born one – We are human being that were created with different gifts or skills. Not all people can be a seller. A salesperson is not born a sales rockstar already. It takes a lot of dedication in training, molding, getting the right support and guide, and time to become one.
2. In Sales, you can get any promise you want – this is absolutely wrong. A salesperson has also limitations. You will be surprised that the things you thought a favor did for you were actually part of the package, you just didn’t know yet
3. Salesperson doesn’t care about the after-sales relationship – if that person is like this then definitely he is not a true salesperson. I call it a fraudulent act. We all know that having a relationship with the customer before and after is crucial and a must for sales.
4. Sales are about selling people something they don?t really want – Sales must be treated as a problem solver and not a problem maker. A true salesperson must put himself on the situation of a buyer. Will he buy it too? Will he use it too? If not, then it’s another fraudulent act.
5. Sales is a numbers game – It is not about numbers or how many flyers you have given away to get clients but it is about the number of people that are qualified for buying your product or service. But it also doesn’t mean that you will stop on a certain number of people you are targeting to be your potential client. Remember there are 7 billion people on earth, you won’t run out of possible clients. But don’t waste your time in a clear vision of no quality clients. This has a need to be focused on too.
6. You didn’t finish school so therefore just be a salesperson – As I have said earlier, not everyone can be a salesperson but whether you finished school or not won’t determine your success in sales. It is up to you! And don’t underestimate the sales profession, not everyone can solve someone else’s problem but a salesperson does. You will know it more later why and how.?
7. In sales, the one-sitting deal is the only close tool – Sales Managers often say that if a customer walks out of the shop without buying is already a loss. It is not true, a salesperson must focus on how to create an impact to the customer so that one day he will remember that someone on that shop can help him solve his problem.
These are just examples of how sales is treated wrong or misunderstood. I keep on telling earlier that sales is a problem solver. So what is sales?
Sales is a very powerful tool whether you are on the side of the buyer or seller. Sales is not about money. Sales is all about service. Service meaning serving other people’s needs. As a seller, you are serving a buyer by giving or providing the product or service that the buyer needs. As a buyer, you serve the seller by paying or exchanging money to the work or product he rendered. You both have problems that required to be solved. If all people will have this kind of mindset, a buyer won’t have a burden on saying no to the seller when he doesn’t need it and it’s the same with the seller, who will not get a burden of pushing or insisting a product that the buyer doesn’t need at the moment. Therefore, instead of using price or promo techniques, make the buyer realize that they need the product. No one wants to feel being sold by someone. Don’t even try to impress them. Ask questions, know their pain points. You will be surprised that you will be able to help to know what they need by asking them the right questions that will point on to your product. Both buyers and sellers are doing a favor for each other. So no need to be rude or ashamed even a buyer paid millions or a penny for the product. A seller must be honest and transparent to whatever the quality of the product or service that he is selling. Your product represents you. No overpromises should be made nor hidden agendas.
Again, sales is not equal to money. Sales is equal to service! When you have this mindset, you will attract sales. Therefore, you will get the money. That will not end only to that. You will build a business. Building a business means building a relationship. A relationship that is a long term and will bring you into places. Giving service also means having a purpose. And having a purpose is worth more than just getting money. Even we look to the rich businesses or successful salespeople around the world. They have a vision, they have a purpose. They don’t just sell and make money. They always point out of serving people. They also don’t sell by price, an Apple iPad has a higher price than other brands and yet consumers chose to buy from them. It’s not just because of the brand. Simply because the buyers’ problem was being solved.