Title: 111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling
Author: Tom Peters
In a nutshell: Tom Peters derives the key issues that are blatant within their selling concept, but often don’t get practised in reality
Key quote: “Everyone lives by selling something” – originally said by Robert Louis Stevenson
The top ten things you need to know:
Formulate a strategy, and then do it!
Strategy alone is overrated, and taking action is underrated. Simply theorizing achieves nothing. Execute this strategy effectively and you will find progress.
Create good relationships
Relationships are at the heart of selling. The relationships with your clients and the internal relationships amongst your colleagues are of equal importance. A united force will give more in return for your company. ROIR, Return on Investment In Relationships!
Tell a story
Work incessantly on your ‘story’, it provides the most economic value. Politics is about the tension among competing stories. So make your ‘party’ be the best.
Listen!
Good listeners are good sales people. Lousy listeners are lousy sales people. Great listeners are great sales people. If you listen to your clients and understand them, it will pay dividend. “If you don’t listen, you don’t sell anything” – Carolyn Marland, managing director, Guardian Group
Understand your pros & cons
You cannot do it all. Know your weaknesses, your strengths and then use them advantageously. Take advice on areas that you don’t excel in and flaunt your positives. Being haughty won’t achieve anything!
Set the highest goals possible
You want to become indispensable to the client. Make them realise that you are an integral cog in their functioning. With this goal in sight, you will always be bettering your company.
Make that game change!
You want to take your clients on an adventure that puts them ahead of the game, and gives them that competitive edge. How to do this? Be innovative with your products. Sell them ahead of their ‘time’ to your clients. When that success comes in, you have delivered to your clients and established long term relationships from the back of that crucial first sale.
Enthusiasm drives business
Hire for enthusiasm. Promote for enthusiasm. Cherish enthusiasm. Remove non-enthusiasts. It should be your mantra.
Clients buy into your brand because of you
You are the brand of the business. Make clients buy into you. The more they buy into you and your brand, the more money there will be had to make.
You must love your product!
You must love the product. The love of the product shows passion. Passion shows desire. Desire and drive are paramount in any finding success.
Be kind
Being kind really does work! The ‘mano vs mano’ hardball is seldom the answer in negotiations. Be understanding yet affirmative. Presidents will never tire of being treated like presidents and a few ‘thank you notes’ will prove to be the highest return on investment.
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