Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer

“People Hate to Be Sold But They Love to Buy”

When people buy something they never say, “Look what I was sold!” They say, “Look at what I just bought!” Why? Because no one likes being sold to, but everyone loves to buy. Yet salespeople stick closely to their roles and rarely, if ever, put themselves in the shoes of their customers. Salespeople try to up-sell, bait and switch, or otherwise work in ways that push their agendas at the expense of potential purchasers. Most salespeople traditionally focus on how to sell and look at the “sales side” of the equation. However, focusing on how customers buy, and how you can teach them about your products and services – rather than how you can aggressively sell to them – is more effective. Follow these “five rules to buying”:

1. You will be a better salesperson if you put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.
2. How well you do is directly proportional to how much you pique your client’s desire for your product or service.
3. This means that your success may hinge on the questions you pose to get your prospect to think about your offering.
4. “High-pressure environments” hinder...