Everyone is in sales. You may have zero experience in sales. Doesn’t matter, it’s still your responsibility and the responsibility of your team to sell your business.

What you don’t want to be is a talkative, annoying, and pushy salesperson who upsells to every prospect you come across.

That’s the old way of selling.

You need to embrace the new way of selling. It requires a mindset shift and a new marketing strategy. So I’m going to help you get into the new groove of selling your products or services.

Just follow these seven tried and true sales tips...

1. Focus on the customer

At times, you probably talk too much about the business and the product you sell, but not enough about your prospect or customer.

This has to stop. Think about it. Put yourself in their shoes.

Would you buy from a brand whose marketing is too self-absorbed? Would you be encouraged to buy from a one-size-fits-all marketing approach? I don't think so. In fact, it turns people off quickly.

Your target audience should be your top priority. Know who they are—their wants, needs, pain points. Everything that will help you to understand and connect with them.

2. Consult

Think of yourself as a doctor who's giving a diagnosis.

Really 80% of the talking should come from your customers, while 20% should come from you. This is what a consultative sales approach looks like.

When reaching out to your prospects or customers, you need to:

• Listen to your prospects’ pain points
• Ask the right questions
• Offer advice or solutions that match their needs

And the key here is to make sure the solutions match what you offer or sell. In case they’re not the right match, it’s best to look for alternatives.

3. Educate

The hard sell is old news. It doesn’t fly anymore. If you want your prospects to trust you, they have to see you as an expert in your field. Not just any other entrepreneur out there.

So to start, you have to educate yourself. Being a non-sales person is not an excuse. You don't have to become a bookworm or the next Seth Godin to understand how marketing works.

You can start by:

• Familiarizing yourself with how the industry works
• Interacting with your target audience
• Reading resources related to your business

Then, prepare tools and resources to educate your prospects, such as:

• How-to guides
• Videos
• Books
• Webinars
• Introductory consulting sessions

4. Always start with a question

You might wonder what's the right way to approach a prospect you've just met for the first time.

Should you pitch right away? Or ask a question?

I'd say it's better to ask a question first. It's an effective conversation starter. It sparks a connection and helps you to know and understand your prospect initially.

Just make sure to raise the right questions, one at a time. Whether it's about selling or getting referrals, make sure your prospect is comfortable communicating with you.‍

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5. Tell a story

Facts help, but stories sell.

Sure, there are interesting facts. But if you're just going to present a bunch of numbers and statistics to a prospect, you'll barely close a sale.

Stories evoke emotions and drive people to decide whether to buy or not to buy. This explains why prospects would rather read customer reviews than a bunch of statistics.

So instead of saying, “Nine out of ten people love your product,” you can simply share a customer testimonial.

6. Be persistent

Do you know it takes five contacts with your prospect to show up on their radar? Surprisingly, most salespeople give up after the first one to two contacts.

So persistence is key when it comes to following up with your prospects.

I'm not saying you should be pushy. But you always have to be available when your prospects need help—when they want to ask questions.

You have to be someone they can email or call at any given time.

This is why you have to learn how to nurture your leads and prospects. It might be time-consuming and tiring initially. But in time, they'll learn to trust you. And this will turn into conversions—because conversations lead to conversions.

7. Overcome objections

As a non-salesperson, hearing, “no,” is probably one of the biggest challenges you have to overcome. Even sales people struggle with this. You're not alone.

It might take time for you to become comfortable with rejections and regain your confidence, but it's part of the sales process and it will lose its sting.

Now aside from accepting the NOs, ask why people say, “no.” This will help you understand why you get rejections and what you can do to overcome them.

You have unlimited chances to pick yourself up. Use this to your advantage. Learn more about how to convert leads to sales here.

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Key Takeaway

Sales are the lifeblood of business. Everyone is in sales.

So whether you're a business owner, a manager, an accountant, or whatever, it's important to learn basic sales skills. Follow these seven tips and start closing more sales.

If you got any value from this article, you might be interested in our blog on How To Set Up Your Sales Funnel. Check it out.