3 Sales Myths (Plus the 3 Truths You Need to Know!)

Below are three sales myths that hold you—and your profits—back, as well as some better ways of looking at things to help you close more deals.

Sales Myth #1: Sales Professionals Get People to Buy

It’s typical for people to enter sales with little or no understanding of what really happens during the sales process. This is especially true in recent times, when downsized employees are “falling back” into sales jobs “until something better comes along.”

Here at Pici & Pici, we don’t think there’s anything better; sales is an amazing, lucrative, rewarding, fun field—if you know how to do it. We’ve found that so many people think of sales simply as talking people into buying stuff.

But this is a major misconception, and one that holds a lot of salespeople back. Sales is not about talking people into making a purchase.

Sales Truth #1: Sales Professionals Offer a Solution
Ask questions to get inside your prospects heads. Listen to them carefully and walk a mile in their shoes, and suddenly you have insights into the specific results and solutions they're searching for.
Consider the benefits that can solve their problems and make their lives better. If you understand the underlying need and communicate quickly and clearly how you can meet that need, you don't have to talk anyone into anything. You put forth a solution and those who can use it will buy it.

Sales Myth #2: Great Techniques and Product Knowledge Close Sales

Sales professionals who embrace this belief become walking, talking catalogs. Ever meet one of these folks at a networking event? It’s a nightmare, someone you can’t wait to get away from. They seem like mindless sales zombies regurgitating features with no thought for the client’s needs.

“If selling were as simple as knowing your product, your function would be like a catalog or reference book, supplying the correct answers to technical questions on demand. Once Mr. Prospect had all of the information, your job was finished. This, to be sure, is not how it is at all.” – James R. Fisher, Jr.

Sales Truth #2: Connections with Your Prospects Close Sales
Great products, flawless presentations, and price comparisons may get you a few sales. Memorizing some closing techniques will help you get a few more. But to reap a large harvest in the sales profession, you can't depend on products to sell themselves and memorized closing techniques. You must build rapport.
Rapport is the deepest level of the relationship between two individuals in business which involves sharing common ground and is established with harmony and accord have been reached between both parties. This does not mean the individuals involved agree on every issue. It means they have attained a mutual respect for each other's opinions. Rapport has been established when an individual knows, likes, and trust you.
This is how you make connections, and connections are key. Once you develop real rapport, you make sales and earn loyal, repeat business and quality referrals.

Sales Myth #3: Successful Salespeople Are Born with a Gift for Selling

Lots of people believe success in sales depends on some special talent granted at birth. And it’s probably true that some people are born with certain talents that make their entry into the sales profession easier. However…

Sales Truth #3: Sales Success Comes From Developing Learned Skills
Talents are natural abilities people are born with; skills are abilities developed by acquiring good information and practicing its application. You can definitely become a successful salesperson by developing the right skills.
When we lead training sessions, we often hear we have a “great talent for sales.” It's a nice compliment, but we still remember ourselves many years ago when we started out in sales.
We've always been persistent, driven, and direct, but other than that, our novice selves hardly resembled who we are today. For example, we now speak about and model:

• - Focusing on benefits to the client

• - Active listening

• - Letting the client speak

• - Working to connect with the client

• - Giving clients time to reach a decision

But when we first entered sales, we:

• - Focused on product features

• - Spoke more than we listened

• - Interrupted clients

• - Worked to close the sale

• - Were impatient when clients wanted to gather more information or “think it over”

Honestly, we started with very few of the positives and nearly all of the negatives. If we were able to develop the skills to become so successful in sales, others can too. Anyone with the desire to improve and grow can learn the same things we learned. It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you're willing to invest in getting where you want to be.

Building rapport is the foundation to being successful in sales. See our free e-book below for more information: