Lessons from a bad sales experience- by Len Woods

Years ago, a resort in Branson, MO, offered my wife and me a free extra night's stay if we'd sit through their 1.5-hour timeshare presentation.

Suckers that we are, we agreed. About 3.5 hours later, we stumbled out of the sales office, mumbling and twitching. 

It was the sales version of being waterboarded! A free week at the Ritz-Carlton in Maui wouldn’t have been worth that much haranguing and arm-twisting.

No doubt you’ve had similar sales experiences. (Catherine Brown, in her outstanding book How Good Humans Sell, calls this sleazy and cheesy selling.)

If so, you might be reluctant in your own business to come out and ask customers to buy. After all, the LAST thing you'd want is for people to think you’re pushy or obnoxious! 

I get it. Offensive sales tactics are like the bad breath of a business.

So, here are 4 important reminders about selling and marketing:

1. If you’ve got a good product or service that makes people’s lives better, don’t be sheepish about offering it to people.

2. If one of your constant fears is being too pushy in your selling, that’s probably not something you need to worry about. (In fact, your likely tendency is to be too passive.)

3. Don’t take "no's" personally. And don’t read into them. They often just mean a person doesn’t need what you’re offering right now. Who knows what tomorrow holds?

4. When your real motive isn’t simply to “make sales” but to serve people by helping them solve a problem, you’re 90% of the way to sales success.

Bonus tip: Check the call to action (CTA) on your website. Is it passive: "Learn more" or "Curious?" or "Our Process"? Saying "Buy now" or "Register" or "Schedule a Call" isn't being pushy. It's being helpful. It's making an offer customers can either accept or reject.

— Len Woods

Len “writes words that mean business.” He’s a certified Storybrand Guide who helps businesses create:

• Clear messaging
• Engaging content
• Copy that sells

Contact him via: LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenwoodswriter or his website https://lenwoods.com