Don't Be Ned

"A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold. 
Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work?  He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men." - Proverbs 22:1,29  AMP


SELL:  to make something available to be bought; to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of; to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something

Most people hear the word "sales" and they cringe. They hear the word "sell" and they shudder. Can't say I blame them. Most people get a picture of a silver-tongued hustler trying to put them in a verbal headlock from which they can't escape...  

Or they see themselves getting cornered on the street by a stalker disguised as an "honest" businessman (?) seeking whom he may devour, trying his best to manipulate people against their will into becoming customers that satisfy his bottom line...kind of like Ned Ryerson in the movie Groundhog Day: 

Kinda gives you the "warm and fuzzies," doesn't he?  

The look on Phil's (the victim) face silently screams, HELP ME! Looks like he'd rather face a rattlesnake post-root canal (without anesthesia, mind you) than to share face time with old buddy Ned. Be honest, you might feel the same way if this happened to you. 

Would you like to have someone stalk you like this? Not likely. Face it folks, nobody would go anywhere if they knew there were sharks like this on the street everywhere they went.  Is it any wonder why people have such an low opinion of salespeople, or of sales in general?

In contrast, consider your typical business establishment the next time you're out and about. Choose anyplace you like: McDonald's, Walmart, your favorite gas station, supermarket, dry cleaners, bank, anywhere; it doesn't matter.  They all have this in common:

First, they do a fair amount of business every day, some do a lot, others do a little, but they all have a certain amount of customers that walk through their doors so long as the doors are open.

Second (and most important), they don't "advertise" like the Ned Ryersons of the world. Yes, they do invest money to make people aware of their presence, but they establish a track record and attract a loyal following based on the quality of their performance.

They also understand three rules of selling:

1.  People like to buy, they don't like to be sold...

2.  People buy for emotional reasons, not logical ones, and...

3.  People justify emotional buying decisions with logic

People like to control the buying process. It is what it is. They make emotional decisions, and justify those decisions with cold, hard logic. As a recent commercial suggests, "..it pays to get the order right," and the people who understand this process do. That's why they are successful.

If you want to be successful with sales, whether it's a product, a service, or yourself, you would do well to learn these three basic rules, and apply them in your own life. Yes, you're in sales whether you realize it or not. Communicating with another person means selling them on something, even if it's just a simple idea you want to share with them.

When communicating with others, be mindful of their freedom of choice. Always. If you violate their free will in decision making you'll lose their attention and their interest. Your chances of connecting with them will fall to slim and none.

The sales process in three steps:

1.  Communicate ideas and information (discuss problems, offer solutions)

2.  Establish value of your product or service (explain how your product or service can provide a desired benefit)

3.  Do #1 and #2 in a way that's unique to you and you alone (justify with logic why it makes perfect sense to deal with you over anybody else)

If you can do that you'll never have to chase down everything that moves, like Ned....

...because every word you say will be music to their ears:

That's all for now, gotta run. Until next time, remember...

Keep it simple...  See ya!