better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

A Sales Skill We Sometimes Forget

27 April 2015

Selling is part of life. We are only as good as the ideas we sell to people, whether those ideas are part of a product pitch, options for half-term fun, or new directions for our business.

We can forget we are selling, because these conversations are just part of life and they flow around us. We can also make the mistake of thinking that super-confident networking professionals in sharp suits are sales experts, who set the standard for business selling excellence.

We would be wrong of course, these people are just people who are doing their best.

We can find our own way of doing our best that works for us. We can sell by inviting people out for tea and cake (works for me), or we can offer free taster events, or simply explain what makes us special, different, unique.

Part of all this good work, that is easy to overlook is the skill of listening. People feel good about themselves when they are talking, so if we let them talk to us they will feel better and the relationship between us will grow. If we are in ‘send mode’ and spend all of our time telling them about us, we run the risk of losing their interest. Instead we need to switch on ‘receive mode’ and really pay attention to what they are saying, what they are really saying and what they are not saying (look for gaps and spaces for opportunities).

Good sales people talk less and listen more. What do you do when you’re selling?

Next week: Taking Good Care