If you want to increase your influence, sooner or later you are going to need to SELL something.
For some that is a product or service. For others it’s simply an idea.
Selling isn’t just the physical act of exchanging money, it’s also persuading someone of the merits of something.
Pitching your book idea to an agent…
Inviting people to join your email list…
Recruiting volunteers…
Getting people to support / follow your vision…
Launching that product…
Asking for a raise at work…
Convincing your kids to eat their veggies…
Like it or not, we’re all in sales.
Let’s be honest though, do you cringe a little bit when you hear the word “SELL”?
Most of us do. Selling has become a dirty little word that often evokes a love / hate relationship. We know we need to sell but we don’t want to be thought of as “salesy.”
Can you relate?
So how do we overcome that? Here are 3 ways…
1. Believe In It – If you truly believe in your product, service, or idea and you know that it will be of benefit to others then you owe it to them and yourself to share it. Sharing it doesn’t mean you have to give it away for free. It simply means that if you have value to share, you should and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Your confidence (or lack thereof) contributes to your level of success.
2. Don’t Let the Negative Voices Stop You – No matter what you do in life, you will face obstacles. For those with something meaningful to say or sell, often an obstacles comes in the form of negative voices… sometimes it’s our own doubts and fears but it’s also those people who you can’t please no matter what. The moment you start to put a price tag on something you will undoubtedly get a few who object to you “selling.” You can’t let them stop you. Trust me. Those people are the people who want everything for free but are likely not putting anything you say into practice. The people who pay are those who are more engaged, who have invested and who want to participate at a deeper level so they can get some form of return. Those are the people you want to listen to and they are far more numerous than you might think.
3. Give Value – This may seem obvious but the best way to sell is to be a giver. Put relationships before opportunities. Be helpful. Build your tribe by providing value. People will want to buy your product or follow your ideas in exchange. The more you give, the more you get but make sure that your primary motives are rooted in the giving.
P.S., Sure, there are strategies and tools that can help us sell (such as this Five-Part Framework for Writing Better Sales Copy by Ray Edwards on Jeff Goins blog) but for this post I wanted to focus on something far more important… your mindset. How you approach the sell determines a great deal of its outcome.