Salesy Ain’t Sexy – 6 Easy Steps to Stop Being Salesy

One product. One mega launch. Thousands of dollars in net profit. Every entrepreneur’s dream…if only life were that easy.

Behind the scenes, there’re hundreds of reminders in form of emails, calls, ads and meeting people one-on-one. You talk about your product to every single thing that moves and has the money to pay for it. It IS a lot of work. The hustle is real.

When you create your product, what you have in mind is how to make money out of it. And you should. Creating that product took a lot of effort. So you go out there and tell everyone about your product and how wonderful it is. That’ll encourage them to buy, right? Sad thing is that almost every time you get the door slammed on your face. Hard.

Why?

You’re salesy. If you start from the point of sale, then people will stay away. No one likes being sold to.  In fact, it has the tendency of annoying your audience.  Salesy ain’t sexy.

When you’re salesy you overlook certain things:

1. You forget that you’re actually selling to people.

   It’s funny that some entrepreneurs forget that they are actually selling to people like themselves. People are busy, they have things that matter to them. They don’t move around thinking “What should I buy next?” or “I wonder who’s got the next juicy offer?” They move around thinking about how they are going to solve their problem, how they can make things easier, faster and better. So when you ambush them with your products they are annoyed. They don’t want a product. They want their problem to go away.

2. You make it all about you and not your audience.

   So you opened your mouth (or pecked on the keys of your keyboard) and put your product out there. Next you go on and on about your product. It’s all about you.
   By doing this you give the impression that if they pay for the product (which is unlikely if you follow your approach), then you’ll take their money and disappear. They’re nothing but road kill. No one wants to be road kill.

3. You don’t give reasons why they should buy in the first place.

   Sometimes while trying to sell your product you leave out the reasons why they should buy from you. It is those reasons that ought to arouse interest for your product in your audience. Strangely, you’re so caught up pushing the sale that you totally exclude the reasons. So you leave your audience wondering “what’s in it for me?”

Coming from the point of sale is the most repelling thing ever. Yes, some people may go for the product. Yes, some people may politely hear you out. Yes, you may get some feedback. But compared to what you could get if only you changed your approach is nothing compared to what you’re getting now.

What’s the best approach?

When you want to sell something to your audience you need to make a MAJOR shift from salesy to friendly, helpful and thoughtful. Take a good look at those 3 words. They WORK and they have never failed me. You’ll not only have clients but you’ll build solid relationships. If you keep at it, they’ll be your lifelong customers.

Here’s how you can make that major shift from being salesy:

1. Genuinely reach out to help

   Identify someone having a problem that you can solve and help them out. Let helping that person out be your focus, not the sale. Give them tips on how they can ease their problem.

2. Show that you understand how they feel

   When someone has a problem the most natural response is to feel that they are the only ones who have ever gone through the problem they are currently experiencing. You need to make them feel that they are not alone in the world. You need to show them that there are people who have been able to successfully get out of the problem they are facing. And YOU are one of them.

3. Share your story or past experiences

   People have a deeper connection with people they can relate with. They can literally see themselves in that person. When you share your story or experience with your audience they feel a deep connection with you. They see themselves in you and your success story gives them hope that it is possible to get out of their problem. It also makes a great conversation starter.

4. Show them that there IS a solution to their problem

   When you first approach someone who is going through the problem you want to solve, such person is not entirely optimistic about their current situation. You need to give them hope that there indeed is a solution to their problem. Show them that they can come out of their situation.

5. Offer to help them out further

   This is where you can ask them if they would like to hop on a call with you, if they would be interested in joining a program or buying your product that will help them out of their problem. Always assure them that they are not under any compulsion to join the program or hop on a call with you. Most people are risk averse so you need to assure them that there’s no risk involved and that they can back out any time they want to.

6. Keep in touch

   A great business is one that builds great relationships with people. So when you reach out to someone always make it a habit to keep in touch. Ask them how they are doing. Let them know that you are always available to help whenever they need it. Even if they don’t buy your product now, they may in the future. By keeping in touch you leave the door open for business opportunities in the future or a wonderful friendship.

Original post featured in Huffington Post

Author: Vicky Law

Freelance writer and content marketer on a mission to kick ass, touch hearts and pick your target audience’s pockets with my writing.

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