The difference between being "salesy" and truly connecting with people when you sell:
If you work for a company, you’ll know how many times you have to deal with salesy marketing and bad sales pitches. There are people who want you to write about their products or services. There are people who want you to use their platforms. And then there are the people who always say they can help you grow your business or make changes to your site.
Their only thing is that they’re the same person. Most of the time, they try to sell something. There are a lot of offers and promises that they send to you all the time. Why would anyone buy from them?
People talk about how being “salesy” came to be a thing.
Twenty years ago, businesses around the world started to accept the fact that the internet could be a powerful way to sell things. In a short time, Amazon went from being a simple place to buy books to being the world’s biggest store. It was after that that major brick and mortar stores started to put up websites, and ecommerce became a thing.
When the internet was new a decade ago, everyone who had a product or service was fighting for space on the internet. The internet went from a place where people could share ideas to a place where people could sell things. But we still have a hangover this morning.
Why? Because of the idea of “sales psychology.” King of sales was “hard sell.” At the used-car lot, this might have worked. And the first results were great, too. Self-proclaimed “experts” made a lot of money. If you didn’t buy their magic deal at a discount, you’d never get it again. You’d never be able to get it again.
(Not So Good) Salesmanship is the art of
This type of selling has been going on for as long as we have known about the world. So is snake oil, which is said to be able to cure you of pretty much anything.
Isn’t it already over?
People are easy to manipulate, so the answer is simple: There are some things that make us all feel the same way about them.
- We don’t like to lose out or lose money. Now, or you might never see this again!
- We like to feel important. If you are a Platinum customer, you can get this deal! Click here to join.
- We love the feelings that come with being praised. Then your friends will be shocked when you buy this!
- We don’t like to be in the dark. (Don’t wait – get yours now!
- We, of course, love a good deal. To get one for free, just buy one from us.
- Isn’t it true that you can get someone to buy from you with salesy tactics like these? But most sales that happen this way are one-time events. There is no thought being given to customer retention or building a long-term relationship of trust.
Close the deal: The myth of ‘Closing the Sale’
It’s more important than ever to avoid cheap ways to get people to buy things. A lot of people are no longer able to make money by being salesy. Business is all about getting customers who want to buy from you because they like and trust you. For that to happen, you need to do something different.
In other words, if you’re still thinking about “closing the deal,” you might want to think about what you’re projecting to the world.
When you’re a salesperson, there are some things you might not have thought of:
- If someone doesn’t want to buy from you, that means they don’t want to buy from you And that means you have to convince them or bully them to do so, so you have to do that.
- You’re making a sale into a fight to be won, and if you get the sale, you’re the winner.
- If you’re the winner, the customer is the loser. You’re the hunter, and they’re the one you want. Would you be happy or sad?
- You get tired and annoyed when you try to sell something. People think it’s exploitative and cynical when it does this at the worst.
In business, you have personal relationships with other people.
Today, your target market is very different from the people who bought your products in the past. A lot of people are paying more attention to things like how trustworthy a brand is than how good it looks. There is no doubt that the best businesses are building personal relationships with their customers in a very real way
It might be fun to imagine that you’ve met someone you like and want to date them. Try to get their attention in two different ways. Here’s another:
- “Hey, I’m free for a date. But only today. At midnight, the deal ends. You snooze, and you lose, you fool.
- “I’m better than everyone else out there. My dates from the past all say that. You’d be crazy not to choose me.
- I’m so important that your friends will be jealous when they see you and me together. Oh, and don’t forget to give me your credit card number quickly so I can book tickets for us to the show for you.
No, I don’t think I would. We hope not, though. “Would you mind if I gave you something as a show of my gratitude for the time we spent together? I’d like to thank you for that.”
You and I seem to share a lot of things, don’t you? Please tell me more about yourself if it’s OK.
Saturday, we’re having a party. If you’d like to come, I’d love for you to.
To sell to people the right way:
If you want long-term customers who always buy from you and bring their friends with them, there’s only one way to do it. You need to care for them and build a real relationship with them.
No, it’s not. People won’t be excited about it.
In order to get customers, fans, and friends who will stay with you for a long time, use this five-step process:
Step 1: Make a Connection
Be clear about your brand and what you believe in. You’ll need to figure out a niche strategy for your business so you can talk to the right people. Never try to speed things up. To start having a conversation with your target market, you need to figure out the basics:
Without being pushy or salesy, make people aware of who you are.
It’s important to teach and tell them about things, but also to have fun with them.
Invite them to give their ideas and help.
It’s time for Step 2. Listen more than you talk more.
Take a different view of marketing. Don’t think of it as a one-way conversation. The best marketers know that conversation leads to sales. You’ll be surprised by how well your audience responds when you talk to them in a more casual way and show them that you care about them.
It’s time to show the change, not the product, and this is Step 3.
The best way to make more money is to talk less about your product or service. Instead, talk about how it will change their life or business. Get a skilled copywriter to use storytelling to get your audience to think about you in a new way and make them like you more. In a real sense, this is a courtship.
This is Step 4. It’s All About Them, Not You.
Talk about your business instead of yourself or your product when you’re talking to a customer and they’re ready to buy. Your newsletters and mailers should be asking questions, making people think, and making them want to change things. The door doesn’t need to be shoved open. In order to make the invitation clear, make sure that you don’t sound like the used-car salesman we talked about before.
Step 5: Don’t Try to Force Anything.
Everyone knows that not everyone will become your customer. Some people won’t like you (or your product), no matter how honest you are.
That’s fine. Then, instead of trying to fit them in, let them go with grace. It would be better if you used that energy to connect with other people who share your company’s goals and values. Let go of everything.
Sales will go up, and stress will go down.
I think it’s a good idea to hire someone to help you with your marketing campaigns and brand projects. One of the best ways to save money and time is to hire a professional virtual assistant. It’s smart to hire a virtual assistant because you only pay for the time you use it.
Book a call with us today, get the feel of it, and see how we can help you.