What’s the first thing you think of when you think of a salesperson? “Pushy or high pressure?” “Manipulative?” While you might have a negative image of salespeople, you also probably think, “They make a lot of money.” All of the characterizations are true!
Just like there are bad lawyers or accountants or plumbers, there are bad salespeople. It’s also true it’s a career where you can make a lot of money. In sales, as in any profession, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. Let’s go over some of the common myths about salespeople in 2023.
- You have to be a people person – “Nope!” Another view on this is that “Salespeople are born, not made.” It does help if you are personable, but many good salespeople have dry personalities but shine in their professionalism.
- Customers don’t want to deal with salespeople – Prospects will do their initial research online but absolutely want to talk to a live person who can answer specific questions and (this is the key) offer advice.
- You have to be an expert on your product – “Ne!” (I love Google translate…this post is also educational) – You certainly need to know the basics of what you are selling, but you don’t need to know the product or service inside out. You DO need to know what the product or service does, i.e. “How it helps or what problem does it solve?” I came from IT sales and I saw numerous technical experts fail miserably when they tried to sell because they focused solely on features.
- People only buy on price – Only if you are doing it wrong. Price is a factor in the buying process but people buy on value…“Is what you are offering worth their money?” You can get a 65″ TV (yeah they still make them that small) for $300. You could also pay $3,000+ for the same size. If you can help someone solve a problem you’ll spend very little time talking about cost. If you don’t clearly show how your solution will help your customer, the price will become the default decision-making criterion.
- Overcoming Objections is the most important skill – Nada. Listening is the most important skill. Why are they talking to you? What do they need? If all you do is offer up memorized responses to a prospect’s questions, you will fail.
- Social Selling is the key to fame and fortune – To quote Gary Gulman in his bit about Whole Foods, “Yeah….No.” Social selling can be effective in getting you to buy $90 gym shorts (damn you Instagram!) but if your product or service requires salespeople then social selling isn’t the secret sauce.
- You have to make cold calls – Well you DO need to prospect. Since nobody answers their phone, even when we do know who’s calling (sorry mom!), I’d say cold calling is dead. There are hundreds of books, courses, and opinions on prospecting, I am here just to tell you to relax…you don’t need to call strangers in 2023.
I will revisit this subject periodically. I will add to the list and/or debate my stances. The important takeaway is most people have preconceived notions about salespeople and selling in general. I am here to set the record straight.
Happy Selling!