I could write a book about selling. Cause I’ve done it, in one way or another, all my life.

Some notable experiences:

I have been a door to door salesperson:  Tough. With a capital T. If you can do this you can do anything. Trust me. A door will slam shut in your face. A lot.  Suck it in. You gotta smile and be enthusiastic on each and every door. Make a sell and you will love that person forever.  Proudest moment. Selling someone a photo of their house…which wasn’t there. It hadn’t been built yet.  

I’ve been an estate agent.  I learnt from this how to tell, very quickly, what people want and to best achieve their desires. I also learnt I had too much moral integrity to stay too long.

I’ve sold books. In fact I held the store record for most books sold to a single customer : )

I run my own business. This is selling a service.  And a damn good one at that!

In truth every single occupation is about making money for yourself or someone else.  Universities sell an education, shops sell products, millions of people sell some kind of service be it websites, cleaning, dog walking. It is all a sale.

That’s how the world works. The successful ones are those who can sell well.

There are a few universal truths about successful selling no matter what business you are in.

·         SMILE. It is the most simple and most powerful sales weapon you will ever have. FACT. Smile when you meet someone not just for the first time, but every time. Smile when you answer the phone. Honestly people can hear your smile. Do it when you’re charging you customer and they will leave with a positive feeling even if the rest of the sale was nothing out of the ordinary. Smile when you’re on your own doing shit you hate. Trust me, it rubs off and you will be doing a better job. Go on try it NOW!

·         People don’t buy your product. They buy you. Or the experience you provide. It could be the atmosphere you provide, the aesthetics, the genuinely better service you give (is everyone smiling?).  It could be anything. It is that one thing you can give that no one else does. That’s why people buy from you and not (let’s face it) the same product further down the road. It is up to you to work out what this experience is. Try to define it exactly so that you know what you are aiming for.

·         The customer is not always right. But hey, they don’t have to be. I guarantee that you will meet a total moron who has  absolutely no idea what they are talking about. The most natural thing in the world is to give them a piece of your mind. But don’t. Try to build good will. It will pay off later. People often know when they’re being an asshole but don’t want to lose face. They will remember the person who rose above it all and continued to be professional. 

·         Customers will tolerate complications if they genuinely believe you are doing your best. You know that grumpy acne faced teen who talks on their mobile while scowling at anyone who wants to be served? That’s the same as the business owner thinking that they are doing their customers a favour by serving them. WRONG! They are doing you a favour  by spending their hard earned cash at your establishment. Remember that. Smile and say thank you! And mean it.

·         Trial and error. If you learn nothing else remember this. Some things will work.  Some won’t.  You need to spot what works and drop what doesn’t. Stagnancy is suicide. Keep innovating keep trying new things. You will learn so much and you confidence will sky rocket, I guarantee it.

Selling one thing is easy. Selling again and again and again is hard. It takes some skill and a lot of attitude, the good kind.  How do you know if you have what it takes? GO AND DO IT.

“Don’t end your life thinking what if, I wish I’d tried, I wonder what would have happened if I.. GO out and ******* do it!” – Doug Pitchers, DP Web Development