5 Lessons learnt from my career in Sales:


I have met many people that do not like the word Sales. In fact many would actually flinch at the very thought of it. Most people associate sales with the Car Salesman or the shrewd conniver who can somehow convince a bald guy to buy a hair brush. In short, a lot of people have this negative connotation towards sales. But does it really have to be this way? Does sales really mean persuading someone to buy something they don't really want?

Well quite the contrary, times have changed. Although some might argue against the very necessity of appointing a sales force because of the power of Marketing and Social media, in today's date of age of so many identical products and features the Sales person makes the difference.





How you might ask?

1) Its not about just the product anymore:

Today's customer isn't just looking for a single product that will solve his one problem. The customer is looking for an experience. In other words, from the initial the interactions that bring him to the store, sale point, website till the point when he actually loves it and recommends it to his near and dear, he should he WOWed.

For example: Let talk about Apple. For so many customers, their love with the brand starts with the well designed and Minimalistic stores. They then get impressed by the smart and informative Apple Sales Consultants. Having enjoyed the demo they buy an iPhone. Slowly but surely, the customer falls in love with the browser Safari and the iCloud. After a certain point, due to some stroke of bad luck a small dark pixel appears on the phone and the customer takes it to the service centre. He is then floored by the amazing service when his phone is replaced without any questions asked. He then buys the iPad, the Macbook, Airport express and syncs his whole home to create an Apple eco system. Then the iPhone 5 releases....Why do you think so many people line up to purchase it? (Ok...frankly i am not a part of the Apple cult) But hey, i am just another customer who loves great products that sync together and bring a smile to millions.

2) Don't just sell, cure a pain: 

Although many companies were started on the humble foundation of providing excellent products that actually solve peoples problems, many companies have long forgotten the reason why they make the products in the first place. As a result, there are so many products that are poured into the market and salesmen appointed who are instructed to just sell and achieve targets.

But one thing these companies forget, is that sale is not the cause, its the outcome of identifying something. Identifying the pain that lies in the customers mind. Wow, you may say that this is a bit blunt...Pain?

Well yes..Man is motivated to take action by 2 reasons and 2 reasons alone. Either to achieve pleasure or to avoid pain, and the second motivator is stronger. An efficient sales consultant identifies the underlying pain that exists in the customers lifestyle and explains or suggests how his product will act as a cure. What happens as a result is that money is exchanged for value. This customer becomes a customer for life. Why do you ask? Because the product was just not pushed, but he was recommended the product based on his requirement.


3)  Talk less, Listen More: 

Ok, lets admit it..Man is a social animal right? So what do social animals do most of the time? Talk, talk , talk...Talk is related to pleasure and pleasure is what we always want. Have you even met a sales person who just keeps talking? On and on and on and on..What happens as a result? The customer politely nods and walks away. The sales guy then says that the customer was either not interested or the he felt it was too expensive, but in reality he ignored the most important Rule in Sales and Marketing.

'Let the Customer Talk'....

This not only applied to Sales but this very profound thought applies to life as well. We have been give one mouth and two ears for a particular reason and we must utilize these organs in that proportion as well. When we talk we don't really gain much, but when we listen not only does the other person feel respected, loved and cherished but you stand to gain a lot of perspective, knowledge and wisdom too.

So i strongly recommend using these 3 skills on an immediate basis, because life is about Taking Massive Action remember? :)

1) Don't just create a product, create an end to end experience.
2) Don't just Sell a product, ease the customers pain.
3) Talk less, Listen more.



Why do Resolutions fail?


Were already drawing towards the first 7 days of the New Year, and something very synonymous with the New Year is a New Year Resolution.  There is something so different about this time shift that awakens something within us to make that change, to make that call, to make that sale and to run that mile.

But sadly, statistics show that although most people are all excited on the first day of the New Year with their goals and action items, by the time its mid February, all the excitement and the zeal to achieve goes down. In fact by the time December arrives, most people are a situation far worse than when they set goals earlier that year.




So here are a few reasons why i feel these Resolutions fail:

1)  Don’t have anyone accountable:
No one wants to struggle towards a goal alone. We need support, and someone to push us through when we feel down. We need someone who can celebrate our success with us. An accountability buddy is someone (or more than one person) that supports you in making sure you meet your commitments. One of the underlying beliefs with coaching is that people who succeed gain support from others. In psychology, it's known as an external motivator. Someone, outside of you, that helps you stay motivated.

2)  Goals are not specific or realistic enough:


It can be difficult to reach goals, but for some people, it can be nearly impossible. It's not that they are incapable of reaching goals; it's the way they go about setting their goals and working to attain them. One problem is that their goals are unrealistic. For example, someone might want to get a cat, but if he's allergic to cats, that's not a realistic goal. Learning to play the Saxophone is a great goal, but expecting to reach that goal in a few days is an unrealistic goal.



3) We don’t associate massive pain with not achieving the goals:

Anthony Robbins talks a lot about the pleasure/pain principle. What is it? Simply put, it's the means by which we run our lives. Various activities that we engage in cause us either pleasure or pain. We continue to do those things that predominantly give us pleasure, and try to avoid those things that give us pain. For example, Losing weight. Those who have successfully lost weight in the past have done so only because they have changed their belief systems and started associating massive pain with eating fatty or unhealthy food and a lot of pleasure with a healthy diet and exercise routine.

That being said, no matter where u are right now or whatever the situation, there is always an opportunity for improvement.There is always a level above you that you need to reach. For every challenge or goal that you want to accomplish the first 100 days is abosolutely critical and will decide how the rest of your year goes. The choice is yours..Do u want to shoot for the stars or move at the same pace?

Trust me..we all have immense fuel in us..Our focus..Our plan and Our determination will decide whether the fuel is used to create a fire that will destroy us or used as rocket fuel to propel us into infinity and beyond...