The most innovative sales ideas of 2016: 21-30

Editor’s Note: This is the eighth in a ten-part series identifying the best sales techniques for 2016. To view the rest of the series, click here.

30. Know that sales resistance is an oxymoron.

“Remember this: Nobody cares how great you are until they understand how great you think they are.

Forget about trying to ‘sell’ your product or service and To do this, you need to get fascinated with your prospect; you need to ask questions (lots and lots of them) with no hidden agenda or ulterior motives.

Many years ago, I was selling CDs at a music festival. It didn’t take me long to figure out that it wasn’t my job to sell the CDs — it was my job to get the earphones on every person who walked by my booth!

I noticed right away that whenever people sensed I was attempting to ‘sell’ them a CD, their walls of defense immediately went up and they did everything in their power to get as far away from me as they could.

So instead, I made it my job to introduce new music to anyone who wanted to put on the earphones. Once they heard the music, they either liked it or they didn’t. I didn’t do any ‘selling,’ and I made more money that week than any other CD hawkers at the festival.

Back then, I didn’t know anything about sales, but I knew enough about human nature to understand that sales resistance is an oxymoron: The act of selling creates the resistance!” 

— Len Foley, author and sales management trainer

29. Sell greatness.

“The key to evangelism is a great product. It is easy, almost unavoidable, to catalyze evangelism for a great product. It is hard, almost impossible, to catalyze evangelism for crap.”

— Guy Kawasaki, author and speaker

28. Don’t follow up too much.

“Pressing calls and emails are certain to turn potential customers running in the opposite direction. Did you have a helpful idea for their vision or an introduction to someone useful to their success? Following up with your audience is important, but keep it casual and friendly with occasional reminders.

Drop the forceful marketing and simply start helping. You’re certain to see better results.”

— Ilya Pozin, founder of Pluto.TV

27. Never lose an opportunity to cross-sell.

“Research by banks into the number of accounts held by customers and their likelihood of switching showed those with four accounts or more were 100-1 against switching; those with only one account had a 50 percent chance of switching. Your existing customer is 3–8 times as likely to buy as an identical non-customer. Someone who has responded to a promotion is twice as likely to buy. Anyone with any relationship with you, however slight, is more likely to buy.”

— Bill Fryer, creative director of Bill Fryer Direct

26. Be strategic in your introduction.

“Introduce yourself and your company: 

‘My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We’re a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money.’ 

Don’t get too specific yet. Don’t mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, ‘Oh, we’re happy with what we’ve got. Thanks anyway,’ and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you’ll pique your prospect’s curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

— Tom Hopkins, speaker and sales trainer