How Entrepreneurs Can Conquer Fear of Selling
Julie Steelman, author of the new book The Effortless Yes: Get the Sales You Want Make All You Need. Many entrepreneurs, women in particular, she says, are reluctant to sell. They find it distasteful. They’re either afraid to ask for business or just plain hate selling.
So how can entrepreneurs overcome their reluctance to sell? Here are five tips from Steelman, plus a few of my own:
1. Have a chat. You start conversations all the time, Steelman says, so why clam up when the person is a potential customer? Simply talk about your products and services as you would to a good friend.
2. Be inspirational and heartfelt. Recall your own “aha” moment that led you to start your business, and communicate your faith in the value you offer your customers.
3. Avoid common mistakes. Focusing too much on the product rather than on the customer’s emotions, delivering the entire sales story in one big run-on monologue and trying to charm the customer into a sale are the three most common selling mistakes, Steelman says. Instead, you should listen, make the sales process enjoyable and focus on how you can meet the person’s needs.
4. Make “warm” calls. Before you call a prospect, do some research on the person and find something you can both relate to. Craft an opening line based on what you perceive as his or her top challenges that discusses how your products or services would help.
5. Overcome objections. Think about what’s stopping the customer from buying and what you could do to remove those objections. Entrepreneurs who are solely focused on how great they feel their product or service is should spend more time identifying the obstacles that are preventing sales.
Do you hate selling? Tell us how you approach sales at your business.
