<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=105052673235362&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

LATEST BLOG POST

How to be a Top Salesman Without Being a Salesman

Posted by Celeste Aslanyants on Friday, August 1, 2014

Topics: Sales Process



salesman-without-being-salesmanIf you’re a salesman by trade, you know that sometimes you might have a bad rap at no fault of your own. Salesmen often have the reputation of being pushy, overbearing, and dishonest. As you know (since you are one!), this is rarely the case. However, overcoming that preconceived notion can be tough. Fortunately, if you follow the inbound marketing methodology when obtaining and pursuing your qualified leads, you can learn to become an incredibly successful salesman without being a typical “salesman”.

When following the inbound marketing train of thought, it’s easy to avoid the pushy salesman routine. Instead of going out and looking everywhere for someone, anyone, to pitch your product or service to, you instead sit back and wait for leads to come in. Once these leads do come to you, it’s your job to follow up and see what further information you can make available to them. By doing this, you start to become seen as a valued resource rather than an annoying interruption.

Gone are the days of cold calling and knocking on doors. How often is this approach successful, anyway? Today, it’s possible to reach out in a friendly and respectful manner without having to “sell” anything at all. The work has basically been done for you through inbound marketing.

So what makes inbound marketing so different? Well, through this approach, your marketing department will focus on creating and publishing quality content that is developed specifically for your target buyer personas. This content is put out across the Internet on your website, blog, and social media sites for your target buyers to discover on their own. Through the use of search engine optimization best practices and frequently updated content, your online pages will be found whenever your target consumers conduct a search for the products or services that you offer.

In today’s world, consumers avoid a sales pitch at all costs. They fast forward through the TV commercials, skip over the ads in magazines, use caller ID, and change the radio station during a commercial break. Everyone is sick of being bombarded with information they don’t want or need, so they tune it out.

By publishing valuable content that is created with your target consumers in mind, you cut through the noise and stand out with information that they truly need. Your content is not an advertisement. Instead, it’s relevant information that they actually want to have. The more often they find this type of content from your company, the more likely they are to rely on you when it’s time for a sale.

Typically this great content is given to the consumer in exchange for what you really need: their contact information. If your marketing team has done their job, then gathering this information won’t be an issue. From that point, all you need to do is follow up. The excellent thing about these leads is that you know for a fact they have an interest in what it is that your company has to offer. There’s not much of a risk in reaching out to someone who you know needs the products and services that you’re selling.

By following this inbound marketing approach, you take the “salesman” feel out of your sales tactics. Rather than viewing you as an interruption they wish to avoid, consumers will see you as someone offering them goods that they truly want and need.

To read more on how to unify your sales and marketing teams, download our free eBook "Modernize Your Sales Process".

New Call-to-action

Comments