Nowadays a lot it is talked about sales and marketing. We receive mail daily from people or unknown establishments intending
different products, studies and thousands of things. Everywhere we see advertising campaigns, discounts and offers of any kind. The press and the television neither escape to this fury for the market. It seems as if in the current world everything could be bought and be sold.
Independently that we like or not this order of things, we should recognize that many of those that nowadays are considered successful men, they have been or currently are, big
salespersons. Even executives as Bill Gates, the designer of Microsoft, would not be what is today, if he wouldn’t be better salesman than scientist.
And for those of us that are not devoted directly for sales, there is still the question: Should we transform ourselves also into salespersons? Won't we be able to escape to this trend and will we end selling a labial pencil from door to door, a refrigerator, an encyclopaedia, like the best 1950s style?
My answer to this question is very plain: we are already salespersons. Without studying marketing, without being devoted directly to the publicity, even the isolated scientist in his lab is always a salesperson. Because ultimately we trade with ourselves, we sell our personality, our character, our bugs and virtues to the others. And they will reject us or not, but it is not room for doubt that mainly our
professional and personal success depends much on this, on how good salesmen we are of our own identity.
Here are some advice to improve you as a salesperson. You can apply them directly with your clients or in any work interview, in a professional or family meeting, when making new friends or in any exchange situation in this great market that is life. They are dedicated to those that thought that this small abstract (long treaties could be written on the art of selling) would not be of their interest because as in my case, they’re not devoted directly to sales, for those that actually are and want to be even better, or even for those that want to be so successful in its interpersonal relationships that will try 'to sell a refrigerator to the eskimos'.
1.- Try to sell your personality first: Character, Energy, Perseverance, Enthusiasm, Sincerity, Self control, Trust, Balance, Sympathy, Good humor, Mental Ability, Intelligence, Carefulness, Memory, Observation, Clarity and acuity of ideas, Adaptability, Communicability and Empathy.
2.- Be honest to yourself. Analyze you with frankness, and try to imagine how the others see you.
3.- Investigate if you have habits or performances that, in general, bother to the other ones.
4.- Frequently smile. If you smile, almost for sure that you’ll get the smile back and will destroy the possible barriers that exist between you and the other (your client).
5.- Don't breathe over the other person when you’re speaking. Don't come closer too much.
6.- Demonstrate that you are not only able to hear, but rather it you are capable also of hearing. Don't talk too loud neither too low, take care of the affected voice and don’t scream, don't speak too quickly neither very slow, just light up the conversation if it loses interest.
7.- Take care of your personal aspect.
8.- Don't use a too strong or aggressive perfume, neither more expensive clothes that those of your client (the other).
9.- Don't smoke in front of your client, unless you are sure that he doesn't dislike the smoke.
10.- Avoid tics or nervous attitudes. For example, avoid playing with the client’s ashtray, don’t rock in the seat, don’t stand with your hands in your pockets, and don’t look constantly to the roof but to the other (the client).