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Educating...Not Selling.
posted 01-31-2009 Average Rating: Register or log in to rate this article. It's fast and free.
In college I took courses about "Professional Selling" and how to sell products or services.  I thought that was the only way to sell, using some theory to convince someone that they need what you are offering (selling).  Throughout my years of sales I have gained an understanding of the "sales proces" and it differs from what they taught me in college.  Don't get me wrong, my professors taught me alot but I think they were missing a key element.  Every day I speak to many different companies and every day companies are calling to offer me their services. In addition to calls I receive numerous emails, that are obvious email blasts, selling me services that do not pertain to me at all or are selling a service that my company offers.   What I have learned from all of these calls /emails I try to apply towards my own business practice which is to not try and sell somebody on something.  If your product/service is the right fit for someone than if you educate them enough they will understand the need/benefit of your service.  Take the time to learn about your customer, learn what their needs, pains and wants are and only offer them a service or product that addresses one of those three areas.  That is just my thoughts on that subject.



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7 comments | view all
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   Posted by ladygamble, 12-24-2009

I definitely agree with crunchercj in educating people, and in an essence
showing them why they need your product or services. In a sales environment, at
Verizon, we were trained to "create the need". Sometimes consumers are
unaware of options that they have and thus we as sales peoople can show them
(educate) them accordingly. Of course there aren't many things that a person
"ABSOLUTELY" needs, but they may need it none-the-less. A great
salesperson has the ability to educate and create the need for consumers.
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   Posted by AustinJC, 08-03-2009

I agree with crunchercj's thoughts, and I also see where spoincey is coming
from. I have been on the services and delivery side for the past few years, and
educated customers are the best customers.

If you only sell them something
that they don't "need" then the customer will cost you more than they
are paying. They may cost you in lost opportunity cost, cost of servicing, cost
of delivering, or in momentum in the market (nothing worse than a vocal
dissatisfied customer). If you just "sold" it to them and they didn't
need it, the costs are high.

But if you educate the customer about what your
products and services do, and you help the customer validate that buy
having/using your product that they will meet their needs/desires/objectives,
then you have a true win-win - the best kind of business.
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   Posted by jay3430, 06-25-2009

Comments

We're all in the sales business. We are all trying to sell
something. If not a product, maybe you're trying to sell yourself in an
interview. The point is that we should listen to what people want or need and
then educate them on the product that will satisfy their want or need. I've
learned from experience that understanding before being understood is a tough
task because we all want to get our point across. (me included!)
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   Posted by kennydc_walden, 05-20-2009

I think "spoincey" is missing CruchherCJ's point altogether. Certainly
it is an "accepted fact that people buy out of emotion," but that fact
doesn't make it right. Our current economic conditions are the result of
salespeople "playing" on people's emotions to get them to buy something
that they don't really need.

I too have been in sales most of my business
career, and twice as long as spoincey, and have discovered that listening rather
than talking is the key to success in sales. A great salesperson will listen to
what the customer wants and then, as CruchherCJ suggests, the salesperson will
educate the consumer on how a particular product or service will satisfy those
wants.

Great post!!
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   Posted by spoincey, 05-13-2009

I am 44 years old, and I have been in sales, marketing and advertising
since I was 22 years old. I Have sold every type of product you
can imagine (except illegal ones!), and I can tell you from that
experience that "educating" someone about your product isn't why
they may decide to buy your product. The fact of the matter is that
unless one is selling food, there is nothing that anyone needs. There are things that people want, but that is not the same thing. In fact, if one educates people about
what they need vs what they want, they are less likely to buy the product.
It is an accepted fact that people buy out of emotion 9 out of 10
times. I challenge anyone rading this to think of a product that someone
absolutely needs.
avatar
   Posted by faolan, 05-08-2009

How do you reconcile this with the need to sell in a salesman's position, where
there are often hard quotas?
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   Posted by cmwalker8, 02-02-2009

I really like this thought by CruchherCJ.

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