Sell Or Be Sold

Introduction

Sales is not just a skill for business people – it’s a skill for everyone. Whether you want to persuade your boss, your partner, your friends, or even yourself, you need to know how to sell. This summary will teach you how to master the art of selling and unlock your full potential. You will learn the principles, habits, methods, and tips that can make you a successful and confident salesperson in any situation.

Lesson 1: Selling as a life skill

Selling is like dancing with words. You use words to lead and guide a conversation to get what you want. Selling is a very important skill that can help you in many aspects of your life, such as your personal relationships and your career path. It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, selling can help you.

Many people think that selling is only about buying and selling things in a market. But that’s not true. Selling is much more than that. Selling is the ability to convince and influence other people’s decisions, which can make you successful in relationships, business, and overall well-being. Think about it: many kinds of jobs need selling skills. Politicians, coaches, public speakers, bankers – they all have something in common: They need to convince others, whether it’s to vote, to invest, to listen, or to play hard. These skills are the foundation of success in life.

Some people have a negative view of sales. They think that sales is a bad career choice, because it has low income, long hours, and dishonest salespeople. But these are just false beliefs, not the truth. The truth is that mastering sales can give you a lot of freedom and money.

So, here’s the real challenge: change your mindset. Don’t think that selling skills are only for a few people. Treat them like a professional skill, that you can learn, master, and excel at.

If you want to achieve your goals in life, stop making excuses. The secret to success, in anything you do, is to improve your selling skills. Make a decision, right now, to learn everything you can about selling at a high level. You have the potential to be great, rich, and free – but it depends on how much you want to improve your sales game. The choice, as always, is yours.

Lesson 2: The Ten Sales Commandments

Sales is a game where you need to know the rules to win. These Ten Sales Commandments are your secret weapon, helping you to sell with confidence and skill.

The First Commandment: Be positive. Be the happiest, most confident person your customer has ever met. People like those who make them feel good, so keep this attitude. Avoid negativity and be with positive people.

The Second Commandment: Dress for success. Sales is not just a choice, but a duty and a responsibility. Work hard to be the best at sales. This means learning from every sale you didn’t make, taking responsibility, improving your skills – and dressing like the role you want to have.

The Third Commandment: Imagine success. Can you see the customer agreeing to buy even before it happens? If you can’t see a successful sale, it might not happen.

The Fourth Commandment: Trust what you sell. To sell well, you must believe in the product or service yourself. You should think that it is so valuable that you would pay a lot of money for it yourself. This strong belief is catchy and important in convincing others.

The Fifth Commandment: Know your value. What makes you different is not the product itself, but how you understand and connect with people. Know what your customer wants and needs. Then show them that you are the best person to give them what they value.

The Sixth Commandment: Always agree. This might sound strange, but always agreeing with the customer helps you. It makes them like you and listen to you more. Even if they are wrong, find a way to agree and see things from their point of view first before changing the conversation to a better direction.

The Seventh Commandment: Show your value. Do more than expected to show how valuable your offer is. Make your customers think that it is worth much more than the price, as people will only spend a lot of money when they think they are getting more value in return.

The Eighth Commandment: Respect time. Modern customers are often busy, so it’s important to respect their time. Try to make the sales process faster without losing quality interaction. Also, respect your own time as a valuable resource. Use every moment for something useful, like meeting potential customers during lunch instead of hanging out with friends.

The Ninth Commandment: Expect the sale. Be confident that the customer is ready to buy instead of asking them questions that let them say no. For example, phrases like “Please sign here” and “Follow me and I’ll show you” lead the customer to buy without giving them a chance to change their mind.

The Tenth Commandment: Don’t give up. Don’t just ask once and stop. Getting the customer’s signature and finishing the deal is the most important part of a sale – it’s when you deliver real value. This requires never giving up and being ready to deal with any problems or delays that come up.

Each of these commandments helps you not just to learn a skill, but to think like a salesperson, and become a sales master.

Lesson 3: The makings of an excellent salesperson

Selling is like sailing in a stormy sea. You need to deal with different customers and markets. How do you succeed in this? You need to have some special traits that help you, no matter how hard it is.

The first trait is commitment. Give your best to learn your craft. This means studying and practicing a lot, with no excuses.

Another trait is generosity. It’s not just about making deals; it’s about helping others, making customers happy, and knowing what they want. When you help rather than sell, you’re not just offering a product; you’re offering a solution, a service that’s the best. This makes you different, and lets you charge higher prices and avoid competing on price.

Rejection is another thing you need to deal with. It’s a word that scares many people, but great salespeople accept it. They see each “no” as a step to a “yes.” Remember, you can’t score if you don’t shoot. The key is persistence, in keeping asking questions and pushing for sales, even when the first answer is not good.

But how do you make the sale? The answer is being direct. The truth is, being nice alone won’t make a sale. It’s the act of clearly asking for the order that makes prospects into customers. This means getting over the false belief that customers will buy without being asked.

Taking action is another important trait. Success in sales – and in life – needs more than just the right amount of action. It needs a lot of action, even if it seems crazy. This big action creates a lot of opportunities – and even if that seems too much, it’s a sign that you’re doing well.

Good salespeople are also good at questioning. By questioning, we don’t mean asking too many questions. Instead, ask direct, deep questions and keep looking for answers. This skill helps you to guide conversations and find important information, leading your deals and sales to success.

To be an excellent salesperson, you need to know that price, which many people think is a big problem in sales, is actually a small problem. The real problem is making the customer trust the product. If they think that your product is what they need, the price is not important. That’s why you need to make them see the value you’re giving them.

How you see yourself also matters a lot in sales. Those who think their work is good and helpful are more likely to succeed than those who have doubts about their job. Being proud of your role is not just good; it’s necessary.

Lastly, training and preparation are always needed. The sales world is always changing, and you can’t stop learning. Training should be practical, focused on quick results, and use the latest methods. Avoid the nonsense of motivational talk and focus on real sales skills instead.

Becoming a great salesperson is not simple. It needs a mix of many traits, from personal commitment to learning and training. Like a smooth machine, these traits work together to push you to success in the competitive world of sales.

Lesson 4: The ultimate sales process

Selling is like cooking a delicious meal. Just as chefs choose the best ingredients, time their cooking, and make their dishes look good, so selling needs a good process.

This sales process is made to please three important people: the customer, the salesperson, and the company. It should be clear and honest; anything that looks like tricking is quickly taken out. The process should also be fast to respect the customer’s short time. A slow, sneaky sales method is the quickest way to lose customers.

There are five main steps that make the perfect sales process:

Step 1. Say hello to the customer shortly. Small talk is old-fashioned; today’s customers like a straight approach that quickly moves to the main point.

Step 2. Find out what the customer wants and needs. This is where your questions are very useful, cutting through the outside to show the heart of their buying reason. Knowing their problem is half the work done.

Step 3. Choose and show the right product for the customer based on what they said was important to them. Using what you learned, make your presentation a strong story that matches the customer’s main buying reasons.

Step 4. Make a proposal. Be clear with prices and conditions, giving the customer all the information they need to decide. Even if they seem unsure and not ready, this step is very important.

Step 5. Make the sale or end the sales talk. Here, your skill in dealing with problems and making the sale is very important. But remember – if the sale is not going to happen, ending the talk nicely is just as important.

This clear, five-step sales process is made to improve the customer’s experience, giving a clear, quick, and strong journey from saying hello to making the sale.

Lesson 5: How to overcome selling problems

Starting a career in sales can feel like finding your way in a maze, with many problems and surprises. But don’t worry! Let’s look at some of these common problems and learn how you can solve them.

One big problem is dealing with a lot of competition. When you’re in a market with many competitors, it’s easy to get lost, right? Wrong. This is where you can do well. Instead of lowering your prices to compete, why not be different? Offer something special – great products, amazing service, and a personality that makes customers like you a lot. Remember, focusing on competitors is a waste of time. It’s what you offer that is the real guide to your success.

Dealing with calls that are not returned is another problem. It’s a common situation in sales, but it’s not always because they are not interested. People might be very busy or just forget. So don’t let silence make you sad. Keep trying, but with patience and kindness. Their no answer is not about you personally.

You may also have trouble in giving good answers to your customers’ questions. If you’re not sure about something, a simple, “Good question – let me check for you,” can help a lot. Remember, it’s not just what you say that matters, but how you say it. The next time, make sure to be ready for every question, every problem. Your answers should be believable and positive. After all, good communication in sales is very important.

Another common problem in sales is losing a deal to a competitor. Sure, it can hurt, but it’s not the end. Instead of feeling bad or blaming others, take a step back. Think, learn, and change. Asking for feedback from the one that you lost can give you useful information. Be nice about it – not as a desperate sales try, but as a way to grow.

Now, let’s talk about the big problem: money insecurity. The world of commissions can be scary. But here’s a thought – is the normal way of looking for a stable job really less risky? Think back to the 2008 recession and its result of job losses. It’s a clear reminder that the only true money security comes from yourself. Be a creator, a business person. Your ideas, your energy – that’s the real money safety. It’s best to be in charge of your own future.

The world of sales has both problems and chances. With the right thinking and plan, you can turn every problem into a step to success. Ready to take on the sales world? Go ahead and win!

Final summary

Selling is a skill that you can learn and that can help you succeed in everything you do. As you start your sales journey, remember the Ten Commandments in your mind. Add to these the important traits that make excellent salespeople different, like not giving up, being clear, and being proud of your work.

Once you have the basics, use the five-step sales method. Then, with the right skills and a good view of yourself, you’ll be ready to deal with any problems, beat competitors, and handle the risks of commission-based sales.

Now you have two choices. Will you keep going on the old path of doubt, stereotypes, and weak tries at selling? Or will you start a new path by deciding to master sales? The choice is yours – but one leads to the life you want, while the other leads to regret. So why not start your exciting journey now? Learn these lessons, let them become part of you. Then go confidently toward your sales goal. The rewards of freedom, money, and self-belief are waiting for you at the top! Go on, get them. You have everything you need to start this life-changing challenge for sales greatness.

About the author

Grant Cardone is a famous sales trainer, speaker, and business person. He is well-known for his skill in sales and business, and he has written many popular books, including The 10X Rule and If You’re Not First, You’re Last.