HOLLYWOOD “BUSINESS MOVIES” GET SELLING ALL WRONG (HERE’S A BETTER WAY TO SELL)
May 3, 2024
The truth is, there’s a way to sell WAY MORE, without being annoying, sleazy, and without resorting to high-pressure guilt-tripping.
In fact, you can sell without having to sell at all. And in this article, you’re going to learn exactly that.
We all hate those salespeople who relentlessly try to sell you something you don’t want, don’t need and don’t care for.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been in sales for most of my adult life. I love selling and I can appreciate it when a salesman is actually good at his job.
With that being said… I can DEFINITELY understand why sales has that sleazy annoying reputation.
MONEY-GRUBBING OPPORTUNISTS
Look – I love a good Wolf of Wall Street, Boiler Room, or Glengarry Glen Ross movie as much as the next person.
But while they’re entertaining, they teach less about selling than they do about being a slick-haired, manipulative sociopath.
Making comparisons that are as solid as a wet cardboard box, forcing people into a ‘yes funnel’ so they agree with you, etc. etc.
It’s all classic stuff and… I never liked it.
If you sell a good product and the client can benefit from using it… why would you have to handle a bajillion objections?
And that’s the real secret…
Most people spend their time hyping up their product, instead of finding their ‘starving crowd.’ Aka, the people who actually want what you have.
SELL ME THIS PEN
The easiest way to sell more isn’t to ‘sell harder.’
It also isn’t some voodoo human psychology tactic.
I used to think that, until one of my mentors told me a one-liner that changed my life:
“People love to buy, but they hate to be sold to.”
He told me this after I bombed 13 sales calls in a row.
(It was his polite way of saying… “well no shit Sherlock”)
I followed his advice and instead of hyping up my stuff constantly I started asking questions, qualifying customers and figuring out if they actually have a need.
If it looked like we weren’t a good fit, I’d do something revolutionary. Get ready for this…
I thanked them for their time and left them alone.
This did two things: It saved me so much frustration, stress & tension, and saved me loads of time, which I was able to use to speak to good prospects.
Selling is much easier if you come from this angle.
- Ask questions to find out what their problem is.
- Tell them what your solution could do for them.
- Ask if they want that.
Try it out for size. I think you’ll enjoy it a lot. It sure beats using high pressure manipulation, and getting stuck in endless discussions.
Talk soon,
Max
WRITTEN BY
Max Masters
Founder & head of growth at Maxingrowth®. Dedicated entrepreneur and marketing specialist based in Columbus. Currently on a mission to make growing a local business easier, quicker, less stressful & more fun - for the thousands of folks who run them every day.
