Chapter 14
Understanding That “Selling Hard” Isn’t the Answer
IN THIS CHAPTER
Building trust because people like to be buyers
Acknowledging that relationships are key
Knowing when a solution doesn’t fit
Old-school selling was about closing the deal, and companies — especially in consumer sales — employed specialist closers to get deals over the line. I remember being on the receiving end of this a few times, and it didn’t make buying a pleasant experience. I’m thankful that old-school selling is a thing of the past and certainly has no room in business-to-business sales.
Hard selling or pressure selling appealed to buyers’ insecurity or vanity to justify making a quick buying decision that wasn’t necessarily in their best interest, with the sole purpose being to enable the salesperson to secure a sale. You need to avoid this or even the perception of it if you are to succeed in business-to-business sales and establish a solid reputation as a good person to do business with. Otherwise, it will harm your career.
Today’s buyers are much more sophisticated than they’ve ever been and empowered with information at their fingertips on your solution and your competitors. Internet-savvy ...
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