Part 1 in our series based on the book To Sell Is Human

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink provides a fresh perspective on sales. 

It reminds us that selling is about more than winning a bid; it’s about motivating people toward a mutually beneficial outcome. Besides dedicated sales reps, everyone else who represents your company (including business owners, receptionists, and installers) is a salesperson in some way. They are all responsible for persuading and influencing others (employees, customers, vendors, etc.).

Selling in Today’s Consumer-Empowered World: What Contractors Should Keep in Mind   

With customers more informed and connected to information than ever before (thanks to the Internet and social media), the stereotypical sales persona (slick, pushy, dishonest) no longer has a place in today’s world. Successful selling requires a genuine effort to improve, simplify, or enrich others’ lives with solutions that meet their needs.

If the concept of selling makes you uncomfortable, consider the following tips:

• Inform and educate to allow others to make an informed decision.
• Know it’s OK to say, “I don’t know”—as long as you follow it with “Let’s find out,” so you get the answers your customer needs.
• Recognize that people may think they know the best option based on what they found on Google. If their online sources provided misinformation, respectfully correct those misconceptions so the customer doesn’t base their decision on false knowledge.

Ultimately, sales is about being of service to others. Approaching it that way makes it more intuitive, fulfilling, and effective.

Up next in our series: The importance of attunement.