A gentleman through our website asked me this question. He actually asked "What is the definition of sales."

Everybody (I guess - you included), whether in the profession of sales or not is constantly looking for the fastest and easiest way to sell. 

Every salesperson wishes that he or she will discover it or quickly learn it from someone or somewhere or will be handed a dream product or service that will just sell on its own.  Every salesperson, and this is so true, has this mechanism called 'if only' - If only this would sort out - if only the back office gears up - if only the production is on time - if only we fix this quality bug - if only marketing knew their job - if only HR gives us the right people... 

I have a BIG insight for you - It's not going to happen unless of course you are working in Fantasy Land. There isn't any magic wand. There is no secret formula. There isn't any 'jargon' that will make sales quicker and easier - unless your method is made up of the following six points - Each one of them is a definition of Sales. Each one of them is incomplete without the other.

1- Sales is by design. The design is hard-work. 

Yes! you might get lucky once in a while and be fooled to think that it was your skill. What matters is the people who consistently get lucky. When you do find someone who does get lucky very often -DONT write it off to luck. Ask them what they do to get lucky. I've tried it plenty of times. The answer that I have heard the most is - We work hard. 

The reason people get lucky - or they are at the right place at the right time - or the reason behind people who achieve extra ordinary success - is that they capitalize on opportunities the moment it presents itself. The reason they are able to capitalize is that they are prepared.

2- Sales is preparation.

Knowing your product - knowing yourself - knowing your buyer (why they buy) - knowing your presentation (in and out) - knowing your customer (whoever you are meeting) information before you meet him or her in entirety, that is whatever is available (website, literature, google etc) - knowing how a sale happens for you (from lead generation to closing a sale) and planning it completely - and improving each of these constantly IS PREPARATION.

So if you are prepared and you work hard, then you should sell like crazy, right? Well, no, you need to know how to engage.

3- Sales is to engage.

Engage in a manner that the customer wants to buy. In a manner that selling is converted to buying.
The best way that I have learnt on engaging is this - Ask questions that your competition isn't asking. Think about your product and service - then think about the questions you are currently asking - then throw these questions out of the window and never ask them again - you can safely assume your competition is asking these very questions.

Now, think of questions that will engage them. Think about their biggest problems and have an open ended inquiry into it. Their problems are always at the top of their list. Asking about your product or service is okay but it is not as powerful as focusing on their needs rather than yours. 

For example when I go meet a new prospect - I don't ask them or talk to them about sales training or what it does or how it's different. I ask them questions like: "How many people didn't meet their sales target last year?" -  'if there were three things that you could change in your people. What would it be." - "What is the biggest problem, you need to solve if you were to achieve disproportionate growth." ....

So if you work hard, prepare and engage - you make the sale? You have to Give Value.

4- Sales is Give Value.

Give value is sharing your knowledge and your wisdom with others without expectation and as a habit. Simple. For example this newsletter that you are reading. 

After you have engaged a prospect - might not still have sold - it's imperative to keep giving value. Constantly Put Yourself In Front Of People Who Can Say Yes To You - And Deliver Value First.

So if you work hard, prepare engage and give value - you make the sale? You have to get commitments.

5- Sales is Getting Commitments: 

No brainer. You have to get commitments from the buyer that he or she is willing to buy from you. You cannot leave any meeting or conversation without a commitment on the next step; and heading towards a close. Otherwise you will die wondering how and for what to call the prospect for again. And you will lose a lot of sales because you didn't ask for it.

FINALLY - if you make a sale and disappear - you only make a small commission or a profit - that's all. The key is to work hard, prepare, engage, give value, get commitments, earn your sale, keep giving value, earn a reorder or a referral, keep giving value, earn a testimonial, keep engaging, keep giving value - 

Then and ONLY then will you build sales, build success.

Realize that there is no magic to it. You are the driver. For the vehicle to move you have to do certain things. For it to keep moving, you have to keep on doing certain things. If you keep on doing certain things for a reasonable period of time - you do eventually hit a road where you can zip through. But the first time you get behind the vehicle, even on the clear road - you can't zip through - you don't know how to - you need to Practice. So lets add one more to the formula - 6- Practice.

There you have it. Go sell!

To your success.