 Jill Conrath, a sales strategist, speaker, and author of the sales books, Selling to Big Companies and Snap Selling, talking about a salesperson once said that the salesperson is the primary differentiator in purchases today. Every entrepreneur aims to make sales, however this seems to be the toughest part of being an entrepreneur. No matter how good your product might be, if you do not make sales, then it's as good as useless to both you and the rest of the world. So how do you make people buy your product and record huge sales? First, to understand the concept of selling, it is important to approach the marketplace from the perspective of everyone being either a seller or a buyer. Pretty easy, right? However Earl Taylor, mandolin player and tennis singer in the Bill Monroe style said nobody likes to be sold to, but everybody likes to buy. So if nobody likes to be sold to, yet we all like to buy, how do you find the thin line of intersection and make sales as an entrepreneur? In this video, I'll share with you how to be a great salesperson. If you're new here, consider subscribing so you won't miss other interesting videos like this. 1. Research who you are selling to The first most important step in selling is making sure you do your research well enough to know your target audience. Know who you want to sell to because the secret to selling anything to anybody is not selling anything to anybody. Whether you are selling to an individual, retail, auto sales or B2B business, find out their roles, responsibilities and objectives. Understand as much as you can about what's in it for them. This is called creating an ideal buyer profile and it's like having a secret weapon. Doing this will help you identify your customer's need and when you do, you can prefer a solution which in this case is your product. Also, when you know your ideal customer, you won't waste time trying to convince just anyone to buy your product. Instead, you'll have more time to devote to buyers with higher chances of becoming your customers. 2. Solve a problem Another thing to understand about sales is that people don't buy their way into something. Instead, they buy their way out of something. For instance, you buy food or drinks because you're hungry or thirsty and you need to get rid of the thirst and hunger. They buy books because they want to buy their way out of ignorance. This means that people don't buy things because the seller says it's useful but because they know that the product in question can solve a particular problem. They want to buy their way out of that problem. Always remember that one of the main reasons people buy things is that they are struggling with an issue that they think that a particular product can solve. So, when you start marketing to them from the standpoint of preferring help, rather than just wanting to sell a fine product to them, they are likely going to respond faster than you imagined. 3. Make it all about them Have you ever had to listen to a friend or relative who did nothing but talk about themselves the entire time? How boring was that? In the same way, prospects don't like it when salespeople do nothing but talk about their companies or products at length. You might perceive it as informative and interesting but to them it's all irrelevant, which is why your sales pitch should always be channeled towards them. Make it all about them. How do you make it all about them? Simple. Appeal to their emotions. According to Dan Luke, author of Sell Me This Pen, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, people buy things because of emotions and they justify with logic. When you understand this, you'll stop trying to push your products, your services, all the features and benefits of your products down people's throat. For instance, according to Taka Rudana Mappendembe, a close friend of his once bought Filthy Shorts worn by David Beckham when his team Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League in 1999. Can you guess how much he bought it for? It was a huge five-figure price for a filthy used pair of shorts that probably were worth less than five dollars when Manchester United bought them new for their team. You know why? The seller sold to his emotions. Emotions such as happiness, love, anger, hatred, jealousy and even fear of missing out can make people buy your product. For instance, say your neighbour buys a new set of window blinds from a popular vendor. There is a high probability that you'll want to get something even fancier either from that vendor or from a much more popular vendor. Why? That's jealousy. A person may decide to buy an electronic fence for instance because they are angry at their neighbour's disturbing dog or cat which keeps coming into their compound. On the other hand, people may decide to buy your product to surprise a loved one or to make them happy or celebrate them. So, in marketing your product, try to appeal to the emotions of your prospect. 4. Be an expert in your field. You see, most people have sales wrong. Your job as a salesperson is to find out what people's needs are and help them find a solution to it, so that they can achieve their goals. And you know what? Your customers need to know this and see this, that you are there to help them achieve their goals. They need to see you as an expert who can help them as far as that particular need is concerned. Hence, you should prove to them that you are able and willing to help them succeed in their quest for success towards a particular need. 5. Always be mindful of the fact that people buy stories not product and services. As a salesperson, you need to understand that people buy stories behind a product or a service, not that actual product itself. For instance, why does a filthy pair of shorts worn by David Beckham during the game where Manchester United won the UEFA Champions League in 1999 cost more than a hundred times than a new one? You see, when there are many choices to pick from in the marketplace on the internet and the likes, the best way to stand out is to add emotions to a commodity by selling the stories behind the product or service. When selling something to someone, always tell a story that pushes the customer's emotional buttons and then make them want to get out of their problem by buying your product or service. However, make sure whatever story you are telling is true and if there is proof, produce it. Thank you very much for watching our videos. If you like this video, watch more videos on our channel and subscribe. We love you.