Sell. The definition is: to give or hand over something in exchange for money.
This seems fair, right?
Do you feel bad when you buy your food shopping? Probably not.
Do you feel bad paying for your health supplements? Probably not.
Do you feel bad buying your hygiene items? Probably not.
Do you think the company or person receiving your money for those items feel bad?
Probably not.
You see, these items are what we may define as essential. They are the average expenses of the average adult.
When working in the 'non-essential' sector, many retail workers feel a genuine fear of selling. The very word itself makes you feel anxious, stressed and yes, even scared.
Does this sound familiar?
Ever heard that voice in your head saying:
"The company is fine, I don't need to sell"
"I don't want to sell to them, they have kids, life must be expensive already"
"I can't sell this piece, it's so expensive"
"I wouldn't pay that, how can I convince them too"
"I hate to be sold too, so I'm not doing it"
There are many reasons we don't like to sell. Reasons of which are intrinsically tied to the upbringing we had and our financial education. We are the sum of our environments.
Think about it. If you grew up with limited funds, or came from a family that needed to be careful with money, the chances are you don't like to sell.
You know how precious money can be.
You have tied so much emotion to it and you have put money onto a pedestal.
This is not right or wrong, it just is. It is what it is!
Now, bring this belief into your place of work.
Do you think you will be the best sales person? Probably not.
You are scared of selling.
Selling is an art form yes, there are many charts and models you can explore to find 'the perfect way' to sell.
I call B*llsh*t on most of these - because selling is only successful when the person DOING the selling actually feels confident and comfortable doing so.
Maybe in your region you know of 2 or 3 absolute selling machines. The business would literally drop overnight if they left! They thrive off selling, they revel in the appreciation and recognition. Maybe in your mind you secretly wish that was you? You want to know the secret.
The secret to selling is confidence.
Know this: The person who willingly walked into your store is already a fan of the brand.
They are choosing to spend their time with you/the brand.
They are already sold!
The opportunity ahead is that you can influence precisely how they interact with the merchandise, how they experience the retail space and what benefits the product is going to give them.
Importantly, and often missed is how are they going to feel when they 'have it'
Feelings drive actions. I'll prove it.
"These silk pyjamas feel so soft to touch, you'll love slipping into these after a hot bubble bath"
To say this, takes a lot of confidence!
Another example:
"Imagine the smile on your little boys face when he see's this (insert item) he's going to be so happy with this thoughtful gift"
You see what is happening here? The sales person is literally painting a picture in the consumers mind - they are now associating the product with the end receiver.
They are literally imagining the smile on the Son's face.
Let's mark that as sold, shall we?
Are you in the business of selling or convincing? Be mindful of the blurred lines. Convincing someone may end up in buyers remorse and high return rates.
You need to dig deeper into the consumer needs and budget to mitigate this risk.
Being good at sales is not easy. However, when you start to feel more confident about WHY people are entering your store AND come to the personal realisation of 'this product will actually be used' and 'my customer is going to love this extra item because it serves his needs' and even 'these items are going to enhance my clients lives'
You start to realise that selling is not scary at all.
Selling is exploration, it is fun. When it is fun for you, it is fun for the consumer.
Selling confidently is inner growth, and you know the saying...
Growing is painful, it is uncomfortable, but if you want to get ahead and start smashing those targets and proving to yourself that selling is not scary then I invite you to flip your beliefs upside down, start to see selling differently. Start to approach selling differently.
Start with confidence.