Selling carries with it some very negative connotations. People don't like the "sold". People like to buy things of their own volition, and make the decision to purchase something when they are ready. If they feel they are being forced or pressured, they very often will terminate the discussion and move on. Salespeople on the other hand, desperate to make a sale so that they can eat, often ratchet up the pressure when sales fail to occur. This has entirely the opposite of the desired effect, and in fact drives the potential customer away.
Selling really should be the process of solving problems. If a prospective buyer is talking to a salesperson, there is something that they need or want. Regardless of that need or want is, it can be classified as a problem. In order for a sale to happen, the salesperson needs to be able to identify the need and then to fill it. If the salesperson can dig deep enough into the sales discussion and find the "pain" and determine a method of resolving that pain, the sale will occur.
For this reason, the mindset of any person engaged in selling for a living needs to be a willingness and the desire to solve problems, as opposed to close sales. With this mindset firmly in place the salesperson can go forth and in fact help the prospective customer to solve the problem. The people who do this effectively are invariably at the top of their game, and post the most success of anyone in their sales organizations. On the other hand, a person who is out to simply sell is likely to be unsuccessful and become very frustrated.
For people considering a new home based business they need to understand that selling will be a part and parcel of their new career. If you are considering such an enterprise, and have never sold for a living, remember that the key to your success will be to help—not sell.
Frode Andersen is a business coach and mentor based out of Stavanger, Norway, that assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. For more information and to contact Frode visit: http://www.frodeandersen.com
