Robert Herjavec, investor and celebrity recognized for being a shark from the Shark Tank program, gives us his vision about sales and teaches us how to sell anything.
Most people don’t realize how important selling is, unless their salary depends on it! Whenever I mention selling, I always hear, “It’s not for me”, “you have to have sales talent”, or “I just can’t make a sale”, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Vendors are not the only ones selling something. In my last book, You don’t have to be a sharkthe premise is simple: great salespeople are made, not born, and no one achieves success in life without knowing how to sell.
Think about the last time you convinced your kids to eat their vegetables or convinced your parents to lend you their car for the weekend. Believe it or not, you are selling something! At Shark Tank, entrepreneurs have to sell themselves as well as their business, because we invest in them.
Regardless of what you sell, it’s easier than most people think. Just keep in mind the following 5 tips…
How to sell anything to anyone.
The first thing you are selling is yourself.
Forget about the product or service. If whoever you sell to doesn’t like you, they won’t listen to you.
Make sure you know the product and present yourself well. Be the seller you would buy something from.
Listen more than you talk.
Bad salespeople “get obsessed” with how amazing their product is and focus only on that, but good salespeople listen to what their customers are saying. They pay attention to the needs of the customers from the beginning and continue their presentation accordingly.
You must know who to sell to.
If you’re selling a widget that costs $50K, don’t try to sell it to someone with a $2K budget. A common mistake salespeople make is trying to sell to anyone and everyone. Make sure that what you are selling meets the needs of your potential customers and is “realistic” for them. You are very likely to get that sale!
Understand the motivation of the buyer.
Why should people care about what you sell? How does your product or service provide them with value? Pay attention to what is driving your prospect to agree to meet with you and address that topic in your pitch.
keep it simple
Don’t overcomplicate your pitch just because you want to sound more knowledgeable. The measure of true knowledge in anything is how well you can explain it to the average person.. Keep your speech simple and under 30 seconds: practice your pitch elevator! (If you want to know how to do it, click here)
The key to successful selling is to think about the person you are selling to. Focus on their needs and think about how they will feel after the presentation/meeting. There is no such thing as a “salesman born into the natural world.” Listen to me! Anyone can learn to be good at sales, including you!
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
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