Face to Face Selling – I used to wish Online Alone would do the trick, but once I overcame my fears I loved learning this amazing skill. So did my Bank Account too!
Face to Face Selling tends to scare many Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. I did me once! When I first started my business 3 years ago, I WAS TOTALLY TERRIFIED about having to sell. Sure, I had sold before but this time it is different. I AM SELLING MY RAW SOUL which is totally different to selling someone elses product which I am not responsible for.
Considering that I get paid to teach Awesome Business Owners Networking & Face to Face Selling Skills today, writing this blog is almost a positively / funny experience for me. In going to back to my starting out feelings – learning how to “Sell” is very confronting. For a range of reasons, and talking personally it included:
– Fear of Failure: What if I tried and they said no?
– Low Self-Esteem: Incorrectly thinking I suck, so why should they hire me?
– Previous Failures: I didn’t suceed once, so why should I today?
– Dated Experience: It’s been ages for me, am I too rusty?
As I got into my business and sold more and more – this fear went away. Every so often it comes up, but that is a good thing as it keeps me on my toes and always learning. The reality is though in learning how to sell, it takes not only study – but LOTS AND LOTS OF TRYING!
That is, I have totally stuffed up so many sales situations, BUT every time you learn from a “Stuff Up” you get that bit sharper. So stuff up 100 x Times and you are 100 x Times Smarter. Selling is it’s whole area of it’s own and I have done workshops just on this topic, but in this article I would like to give you my own personal Top Lessons for Face to Face Selling:
1) Awesome Product & Service: You must be selling an awesome product to the right person. If you aren’t, THEN STOP RIGHT HERE and GET IT RIGHT. Ethics from a 100% belief in your Product / Service comes first.
2) Great Sales Materials: Very hard to sell without the right / proper Sales Materials. It makes it much easier and it’s great to have things like Business Cards, Profiles, Brochures – whatever physical material you need.
3) Practice: Always be thinking and practicing how to get better. Great to play it out mentally until it comes as second nature.
4) Get in front of your prospects: Another conversation, but make sure you are talking to your actual target. Sounds obvious, but I see people selling to the wrong ones all the time and wondering why they aren’t winning!
5) Shared Understanding: Both you and the potential customer know why you are there! So it’s all transparent and perfectly above board.
6) Questions & Questions: Really ask heaps of questions to MAKE SURE your product / service is what they need. If not, DON’T SELL IT! Be straight up with them.
7) Straight Up Answers: Don’t do any lame Sales Techniques stalling them. If they ask how much, tell them straight up. Remember you potential clients are just like you – normal people with lives to lead that like being told the truth.
8) Make sure you want them: Ensure that YOU WANT THEM as a client and then take it as such. If they don’t suit you, politely back off – if they do, then be enthusiastic and go for it!
9) Answer all their questions: They will ask you questions as you present. As 7), straight up Dinky Dye Answers.
10) Ask for the job: Always ask! My biggest mistake for ages was not asking, then not getting the sale. Always ask nicely!
Of course I have barely scratched the Surface of Face to Face Selling – so there is a lot more to it than this! It is a profession on its own and I just wanted to give you some of my own personal “Hot 10 Favourites” so my advice? Read up more and get great at this topic.
Face to Face Selling is one of those life-long skills which I think has been lost by many today. Yes, I love Facebook, LinkedIn and Online – but speak to many successful business people, they will swear to the value of this skill!
Thank you for the great read, keep up the great Face to Face Selling!
Edward Zia – Marketing Mentor who loves Old Times Traditional Selling! (As well as super modern stuff!).
2 Responses
Great reiteration of number 10!
Always ask for the sale always always always!
My mentor Ronnie Kagan told me last night that I can become the best salesman in my field if I just outwork everyone else, the more people I can see and ask for the sale then the more I am going to bring home for my family and make me feel successful!
Love your work Edward!
Simon
That is a great insight Simon and couldn’t agree with you more. Talking to my own results, it has been that type of thinking that has always done me well. When I started out, everyone would go Networking 1 x Per Week, I would go 5 x Times and meet way more people. Even if someone can “Sell” better than me, if I am going out more then there is your answer. Well done Simon! Sounds like your life is rocking and keep it up!