Marco sat, bored out of his mind. Would no one step on the car lot today? He tried to sell to a few couples yesterday but they were ʻjust lookingʼ. Jobs are scarce and selling cars is the last thing Marco ever though he would be doing. His manager gave him a nod as a man entered the showroom. Marco nervously looked back at his manager. He thought, ʻ I need this sale.
What can I say to get this guy to buy?ʼ

Bogus Belief #1
Sales professionals get people to buy.

Ever think that? I know we have. However, this is absolutely untrue.
Bogus Beliefs are preconceived ideas about sales that will limit your success. They are erroneous notions about the sales profession. Actually, many individuals donʼt consider sales a ʻprofessionʼ at all. In this economy some downsized employees are ʻfalling backʼ into sales jobs just till something better comes along. Yet, in our estimation, there is nothing better than the sales profession for income and security — IF you know what you are doing.

The biggest challenge in selling is…selling.

Do you want to…
• Book more meetings with new clients?
• Increase your closing rate?
• Boost your income?
• Create more new business with less windshield time?
• Grow your market share?

It is common for people enter the field of sales with little or no understanding of what really happens in the sales process. We find that many people view selling as getting clients to buy products or services. This view creates two approaches to sales training:

• Developing great product knowledge.
• Learning a few key phrases to use at the right time to close the sale.

In our experience we have found these approaches to be lacking. We agree that sales professionals need great product knowledge and that knowing what to say and when to say it can dramatically improve your sales results. However, we differ with the above definition of sales because the mindset behind it begins with a focus on the sales professionalʼs need to get the deal. Consider this better belief:

Better Belief #1

Sales professionals offer people asolution to a problem or a way to fill an unmet need.

Get inside your clients head. Walk a mile in their shoes and you will gain insight into the specific results and solutions your client is searching for.
To answer Marcoʼs question, “What should I say…”, find out something about the reason the client is on the car lot today; What the vehicle will be used for; Who else will be driving it; What types of vehicles he has enjoyed in the past and why. If he could have any car on the lot, which one would it be and why. People donʼt want a car. They want transportation. They want to get from point A to B. ʻHowʼ they want to get there is important. A vehicle is part of an individuals identity. ʻWhyʼ they want the vehicle will unlock the underlying need to which you can find a solution.

We will discuss seven bogus beliefs about sales and challenge you to embrace the better beliefs we suggest and watch your sales grow!