News From LBD

March 2014 Volume 6 Issue 3

Learn to Sell Like a 3-Year-Old

You've probably heard the saying, "People are always selling something." Is that a true statement? What are you selling on a daily basis? Who are you selling to? Who is selling to you? What are you being sold?

Everyone IS always selling something, whether it's a product, a service or just an idea, we are always selling and we learn it at a very young age. Recently my wife and I were taking care of our 3-yr old grandson for a weekend and I couldn't help but notice how proficient he had become in the art of selling. Whether it's what he wanted to eat in the morning, games he wanted to play, or of course things he didn't want to do, he was very adept at persuading. Average 3-year-olds are AWESOME at selling their ideas.

So where do 3-year-olds learn to sell their ideas so effectively? Watching their parents, observing their teachers, being "sold" by other children are just a few of the places they learn. Generally speaking, children's sales success comes from persistence, as they rarely give up, and they don't fear rejection.

They are not shy to "ask" for what they want. And they also maximize the art of Emotion.

It has been said that Conviction Sells, Emotion Buys and Logic is what Pays for it. Kids get that. Our grandson's Conviction of what he wanted to accomplish was very apparent. His use of Emotion was masterful because we wanted him to be happy. He left the Logic up to us. He was also very persistent, without the "fear of rejection."

The essence of sales, the art of persuasion, is something all of us do, many times a day, no matter our chosen professions. People want to buy; they just don't want to be sold and too many times people sell or lead with Logic and then wonder why they are rejected. This eventually causes people to "fear rejection" and ultimately stop asking.

For better sales results, Learn to "Sell" like a 3-Year-Old, it just might work.

What Leaders are Reading

The Trust Factor: Negotiating in SMARTnership by Keld Jensen

Deal makers who are stuck on the traditional path define success as concluding a transaction at the cheapest possible acquisition cost. This approach takes only two variables into account: price and quantity. Haggling for the cheapest price is really not negotiation at all, according to Jensen's way of thinking. He suggests these people are not really aware of the process that can yield a mutually beneficial result, enhancing the value of the take-away for both parties. Haggling for the deepest discount eliminates the magic ingredients that expand the room to negotiate and, consequently, the range of variables needed in order to make the pie bigger. The magic ingredients are trust and cooperation.

Leadership Tip of the Month

The Art of Selling

Whether you have chosen to formally sell for a living or are just trying to communicate an idea to a friend, here are 5 things you should never forget:

1. All sales are founded on good relationships. Gaining trust is the foundation of any good relationship. It's all about them.

2. Once you have built a relationship, you should ask questions to determine if the solution you provide is a fit for your customer's needs. You will not be judged on answers you give, rather on questions you ask.

3. Stop talking! Learn to listen and listen to learn; this is the forgotten art of sales.



4. The true secret of persuasion is making your customers feel the thing you're selling means more to them than to you and the money it costs.

5. Ask for the business.

Selling is about persuasion, and you've been selling since you were at least 3 years old. So, relax, have a conversation, ask good questions, and build relationships.

To learn how, contact LBD.

John Branstad

Quote of the Month

"Most sales people try to take a horse to water and make them drink. It's your job to make the horse thirsty."

Gab Siegel

President, MediCab of NY

John Branstad
www.leadershipbydesign.org
763-213-5267