Sales Rule #2: Always Be Yourself

I sold Kirby vacuum cleaners in college.
Sometimes I wouldn't get home until 11pm 
as the last sales appointment was usually at 8pm.
My Dad would be waiting up for me and we would talk sales and the calls I went on that day.
The second rule of sales he drilled into me was this:
"In sales always be yourself," my Dad told me.

Sales is all about people and your trust and relationship with them.
No matter what sales training you have been given, written about, or believe in, a successful sale comes down to one thing...does the client "buy" who you are as a person.

A. If they like you and believe you they will buy right away.
B. If they like you but are skeptical about what you have to say they will take their time making a decision. If the decision is yes or no depends on how much doubt you left in their heads about what you were saying.
C. If they like you but don't believe in what you say, they won't buy from you but might give you another chance to pitch them on the same or different product.
D. If they don't like you but believe in what you say, and really need it, they will probably buy the product...just not from you if there is another source or salesperson they can deal with.
E. If they don't like you and don't believe what you say you won't get the sale no matter what. Move on to a different prospect.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to improve who you are by working on your sales skills, your professionalism, your product and industry knowledge, do all those things!
Just don't try and reinvent yourself as a person.
If you are a naturally energetic person, don't be afraid to be that as a salesperson 
(this doesn't give you permission to stand up and holler "Free bird!" at the speaker during sales training sessions!).
If you are bubbly, be bubbly.
If you are quiet, don't be afraid to be quiet (find clients who love to talk about themselves and they'll probably love having you as their rep because you LISTEN to them).

If you are always yourself, and not someone a book or trainer says you have to be:
1. your sales techniques will be more natural, 
2. you won't come off as a fake, 
3. what you say or do won't feel forced or awkward, 
Follow this rule and you'll spend more time in category A and less time 
in categories B, C, D, and E.

To Find out what is Ev's #1 rule of sales click here:
Ev's #1 Sales Rule for Everyone

Thanks for reading!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy