And heaven forbid, someone thought we were ‘pushy’ or a pest – talk about pushing our buttons. Eeek!
The thing is, though, sales are necessary. You HAVE to sell if you’re in business. You MUST bring money in or the business will fold. If you’re in business, you NEED to sell. So how do you magic up sales out of nowhere when you’re not sure where to start?
Well, the secret is that they never come out of nowhere – there is always a whole lot of magic going on to make them happen but the brilliant news is you have EVERYTHING you need in your own personal magic kit already.
Sales doesn’t have to be pushy. It doesn’t have to be annoying. If you realise a couple of things, you can do it effortlessly, painlessly – it won’t bother you a bit. In fact you will start to do it naturally, as if by magic!
Let me tell you how to become a sales magician.
What All Sales Magicians Know
There is something you need to know before we even get started and that is that a sale is not the end of the journey, nor is it the beginning – its somewhere in the middle. This is a biggie.
A Sale Is Not The Beginning Of The Journey
The people who think that a sale is the beginning of the sales journey are the people who will go into a group on Facebook and spam, spam, spam and try to sell before they have even talked to you. Or people who latch onto you at networking meetings and ram their service down your throat before you’ve had time to blink. They think that a sale is the beginning of a relationship and it really isn’t. In fact, this is the best way to switch potential customers OFF.
A Sale Is Not The End Of The Journey
The people who think that the sale is at the end of the relationship are people who will sell to you and you never hear from them again. They vanish into thin air. They only care about meeting their targets, getting new people in, it’s all about numbers. As soon as you have a problem or need help, they are nowhere to be found – I’ll bet you’ve had that happen to you, right?
A Sale Is THE WHOLE JOURNEY
Sales don’t just happen. They begin with you setting out your stall, real or online.
Sales begin with you understanding who your best customers are because you can’t market to everyone, so you may as well market to the people who are most likely to buy from you.
Sales begin with you offering products and services that are a great fit for the people you’re targeting – and with you showing them really clearly why you are perfect for them.
Sales begin with you building a reputation, showing you know your stuff, showing you’re credible and that you’re a person your customers can trust with their money.
Sales begin with you making it really easy for people to buy
Sales magicians know this.
Once you get all that in place (and it’s not hard, it just takes a little thought and time) then the actually SALE where you receive money is much more likely to happen. But that’s not the whole story.
The best businesses have customers who keep coming back. The best businesses have loyal fans who tell their friends and leave great reviews. The best businesses know that the money part is the middle of the journey.
About The Coming Back Thing…
Even if you think you’re in a business where you don’t get repeat customers, for example if you sell wedding dresses, think again.
My local wedding dress shop contacts you after your wedding and says would you like us to turn your wedding dress into something you can wear, a christening dress, cushions, what would you like us to do with your wedding dress? Would you like us to preserve it, to get it cleaned and frame it? Would you like to link up with our favourite photographer for a ‘Wreck The Dress’ photo shoot?
There is always a way to add more value.
There is always a way to continue to build that relationship.
There is always a way to increase your sales in the process, with customers who already love and trust you.
What Makes A Sales Magician Different?
So let’s look at what makes a sales magician different to your average bear.
Sales magicians have got warm and inviting shops or websites, that their customers love and where they feel at home.
Sales magicians make it really easy to buy – they keep it really simple, with no extra hurdles and they make it very clear what their customers need to do.
Sales magicians know what their customers need – they are like mind readers! They know their best customers very well because they watch and listen and ask questions. They make sure they are providing what their buyers need. When was the last time you asked your customers what they need and how you could better help them?
Sales magicians are not pushy, but helpful – this is how they turn potential buyers into sales.
Sales magicians are the people you instantly think of when you need ‘a website’, ‘a posh dress’, ‘some advice on supplements’ because they are seen as the ‘go to’ person for that product or service.
Sales magicians have a regular e-newsletter that goes out to their subscribers and customers and they send it religiously, every month or week. They know how important it is to stay top of mind and build relationships.
Sales magicians have successful businesses because they think like business owners, they price properly, understand what’s important and focus on the things that make a difference.
Sales magicians understand that the SALE, the exchange of money, is just part of the experience. And that’s why they sell more, effortlessly.
So, Are You Ready To Be A Sales Magician?
I think you are.
Hopefully you can see now that a sale is part of a journey, there’s a lot of before and after involved.
A sale is much more likely to come if you have figured out who is most likely to buy from you, if you are keeping in touch with them via e-newsletters and staying top of mind.
A sale is more likely to come if you have created products and services that your customers want, because they have told you.
A sale is much more likely to come if you are making yourself visible so potential customers can find you and see what you do.
Sales come because you work at making them happen, you become a sales magician by putting into practice all the things we’ve talked about here.
You’ve got your magic kit, now go make it happen!
