Let’s be honest…do you cringe when a salesperson approaches or do you welcome them with open arms and a big smile???

I’ve been in some sort of sales all my life and even I cringe when a sales person approaches. It’s a bit of a knee-jerk reaction… back off — I don’t know you and I don’t need you. Except we do need salespeople.

If you own a business, you need to be a salesperson. Wait, don’t cringe…it’s okay…it’s not a dirty word!

What fuels your business more than new business? Sales are the driving force. So how do you become the salesperson that people look forward to seeing?

At one of our monthly Accelerated Networking events we asked, Lynn Strigh, a business and sales coach, to address this topic. Here are some key points she shared with us:

•    If you label yourself a "salesperson" and that word has negative connotations to you, then you’re going to bring negative vibes to the client. Your mindset needs adjusting. Sales is about helping people/businesses find solutions to problems.
•    Listen to your client. Understand their needs and respect their opinions. By listening you can find that "point of pain" where you can best serve. Too often salespeople have a preconceived notion of what the client needs and spend way too much time talking instead of listening.
•    Whether it is on a new home or a new healthy lifestyle, spending money is an emotional process. Your role is not to "sell" but to “coach” the potential buyer by examining the fears and emotional baggage holding them back. This can even apply in the corporate setting where pressures from peers or management may be affecting a purchase.
•    Do not let YOUR emotional baggage make the decision for them. In other words, don’t let your lack of money give them the opt out. The product or service you offer may be their ticket to a better life, a better business...don’t derail that opportunity by allowing your own fear of spending to get in the way.

At eWomenNetwork our purpose is to enrich and empower the lives and businesses of women entrepreneurs AND to help them reach their full potential and accomplish their dreams. Visit us on the web at www.ewomennetwork.com/chapter/snj or call Marilyn Kleinberg, Executive Managing Director, eWomenNetwork Southern New Jersey at 609-601-1333.