Darren Hardy, Wealth - Tuesday, February 1, 2011 11:00 - 7 Comments

Hardy: Sales Is the Other Four-Letter Word

Whether or not the title on your business card labels you as a “salesperson,” I bet you have had several sales conversations already today. Maybe you sold a friend on seeing the great movie you just saw or trying a new restaurant you recently enjoyed. If you’re a parent, you may have sold your kids on the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast or doing well in school today. Or perhaps you sold your boss on why you need a day off, promotion or raise. The list goes on and on. All day, every day we are selling someone on something.

If you aren’t good at sales, life will be more difficult for you. It’s that simple. Selling is not just a business skill; it’s an essential life skill. But selling really isn’t as complicated or mysterious as we make it out to be. Selling is simply about influencing an outcome.

If you’re stuck in the mindset that you’re not good at selling, it’s time to shift your perspective.

Start by stopping selling. Cross out the word sell and replace it with help.

An early mentor of mine helped me gain proper perspective on selling when I was in real estate. I showed him my “hit list” of target prospects. He said, “Hit list! Who wants to be your next hit?! These are real people, real families, who will be going through one of the most emotional transactions of their life involving probably the most valuable asset they own—their home. Until this list is considered the list of those families whom you will help, protect and fight for next, they will not be interested in what you have to say.”

What great advice! It wasn’t just a change of word; it was an entirely different philosophy, mindset and emotional approach to every conversation and interaction. Instead of pitching, I was inquiring about their dreams, hopes, fears and worries… and listening. Then I looked for all sorts of ways I could help them, not only with their real estate needs, but in their lives. The byproduct was that I became a valued and trusted partner. They heaped their real estate business on me and became avid and enthusiastic referral advocates.

Giving to and helping others activates the power of reciprocity. It’s what Zig Ziglar taught us: “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Don’t just treat this as a clever saying; seriously embrace it. Look at every relationship in your life and every interaction you have as an opportunity to discover what the other person’s goals, hopes, pains and problems are. Then figure out how you can help. Shifting your mindset from selling to helping will transform your behavior and your sales results. You’ll soon find that this is a much easier way to sell—not to mention a whole lot more fun and far more meaningful and rewarding.

Sharpening your sales (or helping) skills is one of the best things you can do to improve your competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. That’s why this issue and the audio CD are packed with ideas to help you increase your influence and become a better salesperson—regardless of your title. I know if you apply what you learn from this issue to both your personal life and your business, you will experience amazing, profitable results. So try it! And when you experience success, tell us about it!

Editor’s note: Darren Hardy’s Publisher’s Letter for March 2011 was incorrectly posted a month early. This is February’s unpublished letter.