Many people don’t like the idea of selling. Some see the activity as a form of manipulation, persuading customers to buy products they don’t want or need. Others back away from an activity for which they believe they lack the necessary skills. Or they disparage the sellers in their organization because they think they are really just selling themselves.
Yet the activity of selling — engaging people with one’s ideas and inspiring them — is central to all aspects of business life, not just the sales department. It is also a core leadership skill. In fact, it is at the heart of the way we react to people, both at work and privately. Put bluntly, we cannot not sell.
In this article, we look at the core sales skills and at key situations at work in which we need to sell well in order to be successful.
1. The “how” of selling
Effective selling is less about telling and much more about asking. You have to understand the needs of others before attempting to convince them of your ideas. Here are five communication habits that are fundamental to selling well:
Listen deeply. To make people open to listening to our ideas, we must first demonstrate a willingness to understand our counterpart. This requires attentiveness and discipline when listening, which includes the use of active listening techniques, such as clarifying, reformulating what people say, asking questions, etc.
Speak clearly. People who communicate in a long-winded fashion are generally ineffective sellers. But so are those who keep things too short and too simple, and therefore don’t provide enough information. The key is to speak clearly, neither too fast nor too slow, and to avoid unnecessary jargon. Also, try to develop a positive intonation, emphasizing key words, and make sure that your voice doesn’t fall away at the end of sentences.
Perform engagingly. If we present information with energy, enthusiasm and optimism in both our body language (gestures, facial expressions) and the way we use our voice, our messages will have a much greater impact. Non- native speakers often don’t put enough energy into their messages, as they are worrying about their grammar and vocabulary. Record yourself when speaking — or ask others to observe you — in order to improve your performance.
Use powerful logic. Successful selling requires that what we communicate has substance. Many people prioritize data (the “what”) in their sales presentations and forget to emphasize the reasons why what they are saying is important. This makes it difficult for listeners to engage. Linking words such as “so”, “because” or “as a result” make your sales logic explicit, and they can make you more persuasive.
Demonstrate confidence. If we wish to inspire confidence in others that our arguments deserve respect, we ourselves need to have confidence in our own ideas. Too often, people argue on the basis of an external requirement — it’s their role to do so, their boss told them to do so, it’s what they believe others want to hear — rather than from intrinsic motivation. If our own arguments connect to our inner values, they will have a greater impact.
2. The “what” of selling
Once we have mastered the techniques of selling, we need to employ these skills in relevant situations at work. These go well beyond the classic meetings with customers and product presentations. Selling is ever present in all our communication. Here are some of the important aspects of selling, with useful tips on how to succeed.
a) Selling yourself
Every day at work, we are involved in discussions in which we are (or should be) selling our ideas and beliefs. And our ability to sell well will determine whether we succeed or fail. But when promoting our own ideas, we often focus too much on representing our own opinion, fiercely presenting and defending our point of view. Instead, we should think about external factors that can lead to the acceptance of our ideas. This could be the research that provides the data to support an idea. But we also need to think beyond data. Selling our own idea can mean loss of face for our counterpart, who has to accept the fact that, at some level, we are “right” and they are “wrong”. Effective selling reduces this risk, giving others the chance to step away from their first position and find ways to identify credibly with something they had initially rejected. Sometimes, we may even need to create the opportunity for other people to claim certain ideas as their own, which we then agree with.
c) Selling products
In recent years, there has been a revolution in the selling of products. There has been the gradual integration of online and physical stores (the “omnichannel” approach), and a move from price-based marketing and single-item promotions to bundled solutions. And new-found attention has been given to providing an engaging customer experience in order to ensure customer-retention.
One aspect of this is that sales staff are expected to provide higher levels of service. This includes more expert levels of advice to clarify needs and pricing expectations. It also includes the ability to explain the features and advantages of different products (that may look almost identical) using jargon-free language. Even those in technical roles in financial services and engineering are increasingly expected to develop this client-centric, sales-based approach during client meetings, instead of simply offering technical know-how.
d) Selling your role
Many organizations lack the clarity of structure they used to have. Complex cross-border operations and multiple reporting lines are now common. This creates a need for people not only to do their jobs but also to “sell their roles” within or beyond their own office or organization.
Take the situation of those who work at the corporate headquarters of a global organization and have to guide and shape how things are managed at a local or national level. In such positions, it is essential to spend time selling the value of your global role. Otherwise, people at a local level may fail to recognize this, ignore sound advice and reinvent the wheel at great cost. Whether or not you operate globally, think about your own situation: how well do you sell your role to others in your organization and outside it?
e) Selling change
People in a wide range of management roles have to advocate for change: changes in company structure, reporting lines, staffing, resources and so on. This is often difficult, as change may be unpleasant and can lead to negative emotions and resistance. You may even have to argue against the arguments you used in the past, which can undermine your credibility.
Change-management theories provide ideas on how to advocate for change. Selling change often means creating a sense of urgency — for example the presentation of a “burning platform” from which people must jump now or perish. Consultation is another possible approach, which allows fears to be heard and addressed. Training and coaching are also part of promoting change, as they provide the skills necessary for people to engage with and master the new situation.
3. Your turn to sell
Selling is part of everyone’s daily business life and the fundamental skills listed above need to be part of everyone’s skill set. Every day, you should be looking to employ these skills to sell yourself to others, promote your ideas, advocate the services of your department and organization, sell your own particular role and make sense of the constant changes in your organization and convince others of their necessity.
And you thought you weren’t in sales? Think again!