Selling for the Love of It

There’s more to life than money alone. I know that sounds shocking from someone who trains people to sell and who considers himself a businessman. Nevertheless, for most of us, it’s true. And from my experience working with small business owners, I find that most of them have a passion for what they do. Naturally, we all want to make lots of money and be able to have the freedom and possessions it brings.

In both my experience and reading, I find that most of us work to make a living to do the things that are important to us. The rare ones among us do the work out of love for the job itself. In my case, I sell for the love of it. I do sales training because it gives me even greater pleasure. So, sell for the love of it! Personally, I want the fullness of job satisfaction too. I love selling for the fun, fulfillment and mutual rewards I get from heart-centered, soft sell sales and [...]

The Place for Hard Sell – Lessons from the LA County Fair

Yesterday, Dorothy and her sister Martha and I enjoyed Labor Day at the Los Angeles County Fair. I love fairs! I love the crowds and frenetic activity. I love the commercial booths with the salespeople demoing their products. And it brought home to me something I already know but don’t always think about when talking about soft sell sales and marketing.

Not every sales situation requires or even benefits from the investment of time and effort required for soft sell sales. Sometimes the customers qualify themselves. This is especially true in the typical retail sale where the customers are well informed and basically know what they want. And it works at county fairs with products that can be easily demonstrated so that the customers qualify themselves. However, when you want long term business relationships and repeat purchases from you, use a soft sell sales and marketing [...]

To Win Over Cynical Prospects, Use Soft Sell Sales and Marketing to Approach Them

The world is changing faster than most of us can keep up. These changes affect the business world as much as any other aspect of life. And among these changes is the fact that the American consumer is cynical and distrustful of businesses. At least half a century of hard sell tactics has wounded the relationship between buyers and sellers. Self-centered salespeople have lied to prospects so often and so much, people don’t know who’s telling the truth. Ironically, they want to trust.

Soft sell marketing is starting to make a major impact on Internet marketing. From there, it is spreading to soft sell sales. These approaches are what customers want now because people want the marketer and the salesperson to build a relationship with them before asking for the order. Customers have always wanted to know, like, and trust their vendors.
When you figure out whom your ideal customers are and then present your unique selling proposition and soft sell marketing message to them, showing you understand their needs and wants, you will have begun what can be a beautiful, long-term business relationship. Use soft sell sales techniques and you will earn their trust. Together these approaches mean they will come to know, like and trust you. You will help customers buy resulting in sales that are fun and mutually rewarding for the customer, your rep, and your [...]