We’ve all been ‘sold to’. It’s horrible.
And it makes everyone feel icky.
The reason is simple: if you’re being sold to, you probably don’t want to buy whatever it is that’s on offer.
But if you’re the salesperson, this begs the question - when IS the best time sell your services?
What most people think about selling
When most people think of a salesperson, they still think of the atypical, completely unfair caricature of the used car sales guy or door-to-door double glazing sales teams.
Can you think of the last time you encountered either one of those people or scenarios? No, me neither.
But that’s not the point. The fact that people still have this preconceived view of sales means that the process of selling itself often appears to be ‘sleazy’ or ‘manipulative’.
Sometimes, it is. When done badly, there’s nothing worse than being on the other end of the sales process.
There is a better way, though.
The best party invites never need to be sold
When you receive an invitation to a party you really want to attend, do you need to be ‘sold’ to go?
Of course you don’t. Whether it’s your mate's birthday celebration or the fact your favourite celebrity will be present, this is an INVITATION - not a PUSH.
The party is right for you, at the right time. In fact, it’s so well timed, you’d quite happily rearrange your entire diary in order to attend (hello, FOMO).
If the aforementioned party invite had arrived before you grew to become best mates, or after your interest in the celebrity had waned, you probably would need convincing that it’s worth attending.
So, how do we apply this to the world of sales?
Picking the right time to sell
You don’t need a new car every day of the week. In fact, it might be a purchase you only make once every three or four years.
The best used car sales teams know this, which is why they always appear to have a handy knack of contacting you when you’re most likely to pull the trigger on a new motor.
It might be when your lease is just a few months away from expiry or immediately after the launch of a brand new model in which you’ve previously expressed interest.
As you’ve probably guessed, it’s all about the pre-sell. This process removes the guesswork about when you should start selling to people and eradicates the need to convince.
Again it’s the right time. There’s no pushing. There’s no sleaziness. You could never be accused of MANIPULATION.
It works. Nearly every time (no one is perfect, after all).
Don’t sell when you want to sell
You’ll know when you’re pushing something because YOU want to sell it at that point in time. It won’t feel right. You might even feel a bit sleazy!
If the person on the receiving end has no interest whatsoever, you’ve completely ruined the timing. As a result, not only will you fail to get the sale - you’ll probably cause a bit of a stink, too.
Remember - pre-selling makes selling easier. So, before you decide to try and convince someone to buy something, remind yourself of that party invite. Is it one they’d really like to attend right now?
It’s time to get your timing right with sales, and it all starts here.