The Art of Authentic Selling

Adam Bude

• Publisher: Bluestar Publishing
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780645048414
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Commerce
• Subtopic: Ventes

Stop Selling. Be of Service.Lead Authentically.

The days of pushy salespeople are over. We have entered a new age where genuine connection and real service are again the key to future business success.

If you are ready to understand the power of authenticity, integrity and leadership in sales, then the author's experiences related here will teach you how to lead from the right foot.

If you are a salesperson or company owner who is ready to explode your sales results by re-engaging with your customers with the right intentions, then this book is ideal for you -simply because people willSEEyou, BELIEVEyou andTRUSTyou again. This will absolutely equate to more sales and profit for you!

Chapter 1

---

Sales … Let’s Get Started

‘Sales is not about selling anymore, but about building trust and education.’

Siva Devaki

First, we need to define what sales is.

Sales is an exchange of a commodity or service for money. It is the lifeline of every business and the global economy. It is also the oldest known profession. And therein lies a fascinating question.

Why is it not spoken about in schools, or taught at university? Because it can’t be. Sales requires skills, yes, but it is experience that makes all the difference.

Most decent sales jobs advertised on job sites (those that pay over $65k a year) require some sort of tertiary qualifications as a prerequisite — even though there are no formal qualifications available for this. Crazy! And most sales jobs I see pay less than admin jobs. What is that all about?

I’ve never heard anyone say that when they grow up, they want to be a great salesperson.

Why not?

Because there are so many different types of sales roles that the truth is, each industry and each organisation needs to train from within. Every business is managed differently so there can never be a one-stop shop. Look at pharmaceutical reps, or real estate agents, or retail sales, or IT and systems sales. Wholesale companies, car dealerships, government contract sales … the examples are endless.

Also, sadly, salespeople have never really been treated with respect. Most salespeople are treated as replaceable commodities. They have the fear of losing their jobs if they don’t hit their KPIs. The pressure to perform is probably the greatest out of any role in the company, as the expectations from above are to sell, sell, sell their stuff to maximise bottom line turnover — whether the products are worthy or not.

Weekly sales meetings, monthly budgets, future forecasting are all based on increasing sales. And the worst part is, it is never, EVER, going to be enough. The more you achieve, the more that is expected from you, and ultimately, the less you will get paid for it! Every year the targets increase, the workload and expectations increase and in exchange the commissions decrease because companies are looking to improve the bottom line instead of rewarding the individuals for creating the business. Too often I hear of bonuses not being paid, commissions withheld and incentives altered. All this does is take away the inner drive from the salesperson to want to perform because deep down they all know, what is the point?

That happened to me so many times over my career. The more I sold, the more they wanted and more the com­missions structures were adjusted. Worse was the BS spin that came with it each time they were changed, to justify why I should be paid less to perform more. Spare a thought for those who have no incentives other than keeping their jobs!

But here is the cold, hard truth. If your products and services are good, you do not need to employ people to cold call and canvas for business. We must continually prospect for new and repeat business in order to grow. Now, there is a much better way to do it through authenticity and integrity. In today’s world, people want to do business with people they see, like and trust. The old sales world is changing for the better, and a new level of service and experience is required. It’s about time too!

So how and why do people get into sales?

Most people fall into sales. They start off when they are young, at the bottom of the food chain. For example, you may have finished school or may still be in school. You could have gone on for higher level schooling, however, you were unable to land a role in your actual industry or field, and because people need a job, many will do anything. They may start in retail or customer service or hospitality, which are still a form of sales. They are menial jobs with minimum wages, simply because those jobs require little or no experience. Geez, imagine being excited about working for $12.50 an hour! But it is a start.

Others may have finished a degree in a specialised field and are working their way up from the bottom in their desired industry. They find themselves working super-hard and exceptionally long hours looking for promotions. By then they venture into other areas, such as specific or strategic sales in their field.

Like a close friend of mine, who went to university, got a degree in an area of IT, and is now working in a strategic sales role in IT for a global company. Massive pressure, long hours, high stress, big corporate deals and a multiple six-figure income. Flying here, travelling there. But is it worth it when he’s missing out on life, constantly exhausted and verging on being burned out?

The problem then is, they are forced to stay in sales to keep up their lifestyle. It becomes a trap. They are committed, hooked — especially men. I don’t know about you, but seriously, who can get excited about selling ink cartridges or coffee?

Most people do what they need to do to earn a living and meet their financial obligations. It then just becomes about the money. In most cases they sell their souls to their organisations because of the fear of losing their jobs, when in fact sales could be so much more … Sales could be one of the most rewarding careers if done right. There is no greater feeling than genuinely helping people by providing a solution to their problems, in the right sales role, with the right company, while getting paid well for your time, efforts, skills and experience. Imagine doing this for a living! You would be feeding off your own energy daily, excited about meeting the next person.

So where can you find that fit?

Find an industry that excites you. Find a company whose values and ethics are in line with yours. Be a user of the products yourself so you become the greatest testimonial, and look for the opportunity where you can be rewarded.

I wrote this book because I believe the sales model needs to change for individuals, organisations and consumers. When salespeople are treated as a valued part of the business and they personally have skin in the game to achieve common goals, they become aligned, and that’s where synergy hits.

I was also sick and tired of seeing bad salespeople take advantage of others just to make money. Their intentions are not right and that leads to companies and industries as a whole getting a very bad reputation, not to mention the individual.

From my experience, authentic selling is the only way to go. Understanding the needs of the client and knowing if you can add value and make a difference by supporting them. Providing service as the number one objective and aiming to deliver the result is a great platform for achieving a genuine business.

When everyone is in it together, for the same reasons, the magical outcomes flow and the word ‘sales’ means creating success.

Chapter 2

---

The Winning Mindset

‘Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.’

Jim Rohn

Managing Your Emotions

One of the toughest things about sales (and life for that matter) is managing your emotional state. When I first started my life in commission sales, the constant rejections affected my confidence and courage a lot. I took the rejections personally and emotionally, struggled daily to overcome them. You see, sales is all about prospecting, and if you are constantly being rejected and told no, sooner or later it can have an effect on you.

Strengthening your resilience is especially important. I highly recommend a great book titled Go For No, by Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton. However, the truth is that it takes an incredibly special person to be able to constantly handle rejection.

I have heard over the years the saying ‘be like Teflon’, meaning do not allow anything to stick, just let it bounce right off you. Easier said than done, which is why everyone hates cold calling or public speaking and why most people do not last in a sales role. It is just not in their personality.

I have a different point of view because sales is something everybody in every profession does, whether they are aware of it or not. The only difference is some people are labelled ‘salesperson’ because that is their specialised role. A sale is made in every human transaction. Either somebody sells you on their stuff, or you sell them on yours. Whenever someone is convinced or influenced to do something, they have been sold to.

For example, instead of looking for natural remedies, a doctor sells you on the fact you need a special medication; a friend convinces you to do something you wouldn’t normally do; a police officer explains why you must abide by a certain law. As soon as we agree to something, we have been sold into it. From a purchasing point of view, more often than not, we really do not need or want it.

How do you feel when you go into a retail shop and the salesperson says, ‘Can I help you with something?’ or you are tele-marketed, or you know you are being upsold? Let us be honest, nobody likes it!

So, when the salesperson approaches, people naturally go into arms crossed and closed mind mode.

The Role of Personal Development

When I first realised this, I went on the path of personal development to help me improve not only my sales abilities, but also my own mindset. Over the years, my greatest investment has been on personal development courses, books, audios, podcasts, seminars and so on. I have invested hundreds of thousands of my personal money in order to become better at my craft and better in my mind.

In my early 20s I was fascinated about being wealthy and found myself reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: a must-read by the way. That led me to Robert Kiyosaki, the Rich Dad series, and when I started my first commission-only role, I evolved into stuff by Brian Tracey, Tom Hopkins, Brad Sugars, Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor, Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, Wayne Dyer, etc. I just could not get enough. Then I started reading auto...

Table of contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Sales … Let’s Get Started
• Chapter 2: The Winning Mindset
• Chapter 3: Just Be YOU
• Chapter 4: What Do You Believe?
• Chapter 5: Create Your Results by Design
• Chapter 6: How Can I Be of Service?
• Chapter 7: Get Into Bed with the Right Company
• Chapter 8: Creating Connection
• Chapter 9: STOP Chewing My Ears Off
• Chapter 10: I am Not Afraid of You
• Chapter 11: The Plan of Attack
• Chapter 12: The Game!
• My Recommended Reading List