Tip number 9 – Stop Selling!
I know this probably sounds a little backwards, but trust me on this one. Stop selling! Potential customers don’t want to be sold to. They want their problems solved. They want to engage with you, they want to be heard.
They don’t want “buy my stuff” from you constantly. They don’t want to hear about your “opportunity” 24/7. So how do you get more sales in your network marketing business?
Think about what makes you buy something. It’s usually a need or a desire for the product or service. Our job as direct sellers and network marketers is to show that what we have to offer can feed that need or desire.
But we can’t do that until we know enough about our customers to understand what exactly those needs and desires are.
Well, we could but we’d have to resort to the copy and paste opportunity messaging. You know the ones – they hit our inbox on a regular basis. The ones that make you cringe when you read them. This sort of sales tactic works on numbers. Hundreds and hundreds of the same message sent out and maybe one will make you a sale. So demoralising for the person sending out those messages and irritating for the people receiving them. Please don’t do it. There are so many better, more authentic ways of getting new customers.
The way I get new customers is to use the sales process I’ve been taught and used effectively throughout my 16 years in the direct selling industry.
Meet, like, know, trust, buy
This like, know, trust process works brilliantly. The last 8 blogs in this series have been showing you how to build up the meet, like, know and trust parts of the process. Go check them out if you’ve not read them yet. Getting to know who your customer is, hanging out with them, sharing you, your passion, your knowledge. Being a visible and valuable part of the communities you are in. All these things will help your customers get to know you and just as importantly they will help you get to know your customers. You’ll understand their wants, needs and desires.
You meet someone, you find you like each other through building the relationship, they get to know you and you get to know them, they start to trust you and once they trust you, they will buy.
Following the sales process will ensure that you never have to sell to cold leads. No more prospecting or cold messaging! You’ll build up an audience of people ready to buy. These people are sometimes referred to as “warm leads.” It’s then that they will be much more receptive to your offers. They’re also much more likely to refer you to others.
Now back to the “stop selling” part. This is going to need a bit of a mindset shift. When we are selling we often ask someone to buy. This can make us as business owners feel a bit icky. It doesn’t feel nice, right? Plus that fear of rejection then comes into play. We don’t like to hear no. So we don’t ask. Therefore no one buys!
Time to shift the thought process behind this.
Rather than asking, think how you can serve, solve or offer.
Serve your audience. Help them. It makes you feel good. It makes them feel good. Everything you put out there, comes from that place of serving and your wording will change. Start a list of how you and your product or service can serve your customers. Are you with a health and wellbeing network marketing company? Can you share hints and tips to improve your customer’s lifestyle? Do you sell wax melts? Can you serve your customers by sharing advice on how to use them or even home decor tips? What about creating a Facebook community that serves your audience rather than sells at them?
Solve problems. Get that paper out again and list how your products, services and your network marketing opportunity solves your ideal customer’s problems. Do those wax melts eliminate odours? Does your hand cream help with itchy, dry skin from washing hands all the time? Will your business opportunity give friendships, reward, confidence, financial freedom?
When you know your customers you will be able to solve their specific problem and you’ll feel comfortable that you can then offer a solution to them that is heartfelt and genuine. They are much more likely to say yes to you when it is this personal and they have built up that like, know, trust factor with you.
And if they do say no, they are saying no to the offer, not to you asking them to buy. Therefore it is no longer personal. No more worries about rejection. The fear of rejection will lessen massively. If they say no to the solution you have for them it’s now their choice if they want to take it up. You have done your part in offering help with their problem. It’s up to them if they take you up on it. And it’s totally fine if they don’t. Not everyone will be ready for your solution and not everyone will find your solution right for them. It’s ok.
When you offer with your heart in the right place, with that serving and solving attitude you’ll get more sales, more positive results and you’ll feel so much better about talking to people about your business.
So stop selling and start serving, solving and offering.
For more help and support with your direct sales or network marketing business, find my free Facebook community, Direct Selling Success at www.facebook.com/groups/annagreenonline To work with me on a 121 basis, book a free taster on my website.