How to sell to people

Posted on 2/17/2023, 6:48:03 PM

Want to get better at selling to people? We asked some of our sales experts, and here are some tips that they had:

1. Make it about the buyer. Focus on what their needs are. 
2. Do your research - Spend time learning about your buyers. Understand what they do and what they care about. Take 5-10 minutes to research each prospect. Here are some places to research prospects: 1) LinkedIn 2) Twitter 3) Company press releases page 
3. Build rapport - People don't like being sold to. They try to avoid salespeople as much as possible. Don't just jump to asking buyers to buy. Ask them how they are doing. What brings them here today? If your prospect lives in Miami, do a quick Google search of new restaurants there and ask them what their favorite dish is. Get to know your prospect personally before pitching what you offer, why they should care, and why you're better than competitors. Talk to prospects like they are human beings.
4. Always be helping. Don't jump in with your pitch right off the bat. You're scaring them away. Offer your help in the way you think would be more valuable. If you need to learn how to help prospects, ask them. Position yourself as an advisor who wants to help rather than a salesperson who wants to sell. 
5. Make an emotional connection: People make purchasing decisions based on emotions, so it's essential to connect with them on an emotional level. This could mean sharing a personal story, using humor, or simply being empathetic to their needs.
6. Highlight the benefits: When selling a product or service, focus on the benefits it provides to the customer, not just its features. Explain how it will make their life easier, solve a problem, or improve their situation.
7. Overcome objections: Prospects may have concerns or objections to buying. It's your job to listen and address those objections in a way that reassures them and helps them see the value in what you're offering.
8. Close the sale: When you've made a strong connection and addressed any objections, it's time to close the sale. Ask for the business and be confident in your offering.
9. Ask questions and listen. Ask thoughtful questions. People like to talk about themselves. Make it genuine. Listen to the prospect. After they finish, communicate the message to them, asking them to verify that you understand it correctly. Active listening helps the prospect feel good. 
10. Lean into psychology 

Here are some psychological tactics that you can use. 

• The anchoring effect - The information we receive first acts as an anchor against which we evaluate further data.
• Decoy effect - A third option can help people choose between two options.
• Rhyming effect - Rhyming statements seem truer than non-rhyming ones.
• Loss aversion: We don't like losing something we currently have.
• Peak end rule - People remember a presentation's end and high point better than other parts.
• Curse of knowledge - Someone who knows a lot about a subject has difficulty relating to someone who does not.
• Confirmation bias - We are more likely to accept information that aligns with our beliefs.

11. Approach people on their level. Become familiar with a prospect's personality and try to tailor your approach.

Here are four main personality types: 

Driver - These people are interested in results and the bottom line

Amiable - These people are interested in creative ideas and big-picture visions

Expressive - These people are interested in people and how ideas affect others

Analytical - These people are interested in facts, figures, and data

Once you know your prospect's personality type, you can use that to customize your message. 

Finally, remember that a prospect is a person. You should be as professional and respectful as possible. You should use some humanity when speaking to them. 

Need more help selling to people, check out the mentors below. They are top sales experts and can get you started. They sold to hundreds of people and companies in their careers.

Rishi Venkat - is the Global Product Lead at LinkedIn. He is an entrepreneurial leader with 10+ years of experience growing organizations across diverse industries (e.g., Consulting, Tech, Fintech, Retail, Wellness), developing teams from 2 to 100 people within 2.5 years, and influencing 500,000+ customers through events, workshops, and keynotes. Check out his bio for more information.

Reena Miglani is the Senior Director of Sales at Oracle. Book a call with Reena.

Jeff Jafferjee is a Sr. Account Executive at Contentsquare. He is an entrepreneurial, results-driven sales professional with a demonstrated record in sales success, creativity, and initiative. He was recently the Regional Sales Manager at the renowned company, Splunk. Book a call with Jeff.