"Sell" is Just a Four-Letter Word

Sell is just a four-letter word. So is "help".

Most people I have spoken with including sales professionals have a certain aversion to the words sell or sales. "I don't like be considered a salesman," one salesman told me. "How so?" I asked. With a crusted smile he proceeded to tell me that people including customers and potential customers, equate sales people and selling with shadiness, aggressiveness, and dishonesty. Maybe this is why so many people hate to "sell" themselves or their services. Everyone in an organization is a sales person. How many times have you heard, "As an employee you represent the company"? Or, "To acquire top talent we have to sell our company and its people."? But if sales people are one of the highest paid professionals in the world, why do so many people shy away from "selling"? Me thinks the answer lays in one's intentions.

Think and or feel the difference in intentions between "selling" and "helping". The former means to some, convincing a buyer to purchase something. The latter refers to providing assistance; to aid, to guide and support. Helping, in a sales context, provides service to what is needed and or desired. Of course, influencing can create desire.

One of the best "salesman" I knew was a man who sold insurance. Arthur knew how to help and he also provided excellent customer service. His greatest skill was listening and through listening in showed a lot of understanding. Art knew his clients very well and his clients trusted him in return. That trust allowed Art to suggest additional insurance products to his customers. The suggested products were not unreasonable or extravagant. "You never know...You have good coverage now but if you want to be on the safe side of safe consider this coverage as well," Is what Art always said when his clients would have considered additional insurance. In helping his clients Art's revenue grew along with his reputation for being a trusted adviser. Art's intentions were to sincerely help his customers feel safe and secure. It also helped that he really cared about his customers as fellow human beings.

About influencing: Influencing and selling are two different things. You can't sell if you don't first create desire. What is desirable to one customer may not be desirable to another. Unless you understand what motivates a customer you won't be able to influence them to trust and purchase your products and services. So, think about making a "helping" call instead of a "sales" call. Consider your intentions before you make that call. Your sales revenue, referrals, and reputation and standing within your industry and community will increase ten-fold.

Art retired a very rich man.

Only in New York

Cresting the long, uphill east side of the 59th Street Bridge a few days ago, I came across a man rolling along very slowly atop his electric wheelchair. In his lap were hundreds of small American and Puerto Rican flags piled high; the kind you wave at a parade or plant beside a gravestone. I asked him if he was okay and as he tapped his low battery gauge he said in Spanish, “No tengo electricidad.” I asked him if he would like me to push him while I run to the Manhattan side of the bridge.

“Por cierto!” He smiled while nodding his head with gratitude.

I soon regretted my offer. Those electric chairs weigh a ton and my legs soon tired. Along with choking car, truck and bus fumes, the heat and humidity made the task more difficult. With another 14 miles to run, I spent most of my energy pushing this guy over the bridge.

When we arrived at the end of the bridge I said, “¡Viva Puerto Rico! Referring to one of his flags draping his chair’s steering bars.

“One dollar, por favor.”

“Como?”

“One dollar, por uno bandera.”

He had to be kidding and I asked him so.

“No es broma.”

He wasn’t joking and I grunted, “No thanks. Buene día.”

“Okay, okay. Dos para una.”

You got to hand to this guy. He's a died-in-the-wool salesman and he never forgot what he set out to do: try and sell his banderas. As I ran up towards Second Avenue I shook my head and said, “Only in New York.””