Eight Sales Facts You Should Know 
Sales are what keep a business going, and they may be the most important thing a business does. Dr. Brian Williamson, head of the marketing firm 4icg and a successful repeat entrepreneur, gives you eight tips on how to be a good seller. 

1. Do not look for stars 

During times of harvest, it's simple to get caught up in the need to work. In the beginning of a business, it may all be about making pitches to get contracts that can be given, turned into bills, and then, hopefully, paid for. Too often, I've seen people put pressure on themselves or their sales team with the idea that they "must win work." This could make you send out 10,000 emails, which is more of a therapy session than a plan. Being driven is fine, but following rainbows can trap you in a tube with no way out. 
TIP: Break up the sales process into different tasks and see if someone else can do some of those tasks faster, better, or cheaper than you. 

2. it’s a plan for the long-term

If you play the long-term game, you can keep making sales, even with retail items like supplies. "Lower price to entice" is a short-term approach that won't work in the long run. It's kind of like getting paid to cut down trees. You should cut down some trees today to make money, take care of some twigs tomorrow to use as wood, and plant seeds today so you have wood tomorrow. Things need to be done slowly today. 
Tip: Remember the saying "easy come, easy go." Do not want to close your business too early. 

3. Build trust 

The most important thing to remember about selling is that people like to buy from people they know and trust. 
Really know what you're talking about and be trustworthy in the eyes of the person who might buy from you. That means you know your product or service and the market it fits into. Once you've proven your trustworthiness, you need to be known for being dependable...You always do what you say you will do, like show up on time for meetings, answer requests, or do whatever else you agree to do. That's great, but the potential buyer also wants to feel personally connected to you. That's why you need to be able to ask deep, important questions instead of simple ones. Where do you reside? is fine, but it's plain. How did your family raise you when you were young? is more in-depth, and What are your hopes and dreams for your family and your life? It might seem rushed to ask these questions at the first meeting, so it's best to bring up closeness at a later date. 
But it doesn't matter if people think you're building a friendship just for yourself and not because you care about them. In the beginning steps of building trust, put your own needs aside and only focus on getting to know them, their problems, and how you can help them. 
Before you even think about asking for a favor, try doing three nice things for them with no thought of return. 

4. Make sure your "presents" are useful. 

Everyone you meet wants to feel like they are being understood, and the best way to do that is to show them that you do. 
Give them a real gift, not a basket. You could give them a book you think they'll like as a gift. It could be as easy as a newspaper story that made you think of that person and their business. You could send them an article about a company that works with theirs. 
Tip: Try to picture yourself in their place. Think about what a kind thing you would do if you were them. 

5. Ask someone to do you a simple favor. 

People like to give. Like at Christmas, do you enjoy looking into the eyes of the person you just gave a gift to more than getting a gift yourself? So when you ask someone for a favor, you're giving them a chance to have that enjoyable experience by giving you a gift. They need to be able to easily give. They can tell you about a good business book or how to find a good FD. 
Tip: Always say something nice before you ask for something. "You've always been good at value stream mapping. Could you suggest a good book or course that would help me learn it the way you do?" 

6. Pay attention 

Even though it sounds easy, a lot of people lack this skill. Everyone likes it when someone genuinely cares about them. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, their life, and the things they like and don't like. One person needs to talk less and listen more for that to happen. 
When it comes to business, I often ask "preachers" what they learned from a meeting where they were the only ones talking. "I think they got it" is a common answer. Yes, they did understand the lesson according to 
Advice: Set out to find the truth. Set a goal to learn something about that person, like what they like, what they want, or what they need. Things to know about the business or the market. Think about what you learned from that person. Likely, the meeting went better because you learned more. 

7. Act 

I go to a lot of events a year, and if I like a speaker, I send them a real note telling them how much I liked their talk. There is no plan, just praise. It doesn't hurt to say that the only thing that comes from it is that they think you are a nice person. Think of yourself as someone who is building a network of friends. Don't rush to make new friends. When you first talk to someone, never ask to meet. 
Tip: The urge to make touch is strong in many people, but they don't follow through. With the way technology is now, there is no reason to do something. You can do that right now on your phone, so act now. 

8. Look around and try new things

In life, we usually learn more from bad things that have happened than from good things that have happened. This is because we think about bad things and try to figure out how they could have gone better. When we're selling, we have to try out different approaches and styles and note which ones worked well and which ones didn't. Someone else's idea can be made better, so you don't have to start from scratch. 
Tips: Write down in a journal what you think went well and not so well with the tools you have. So, do something about the things you want to change.