Author: Rachel Morgan
May 27, 2024

When it comes to selling, there’s a social stigma that says selling in general is sleazy, pushy, and gross. So we get into our heads that if we’re selling, or even admit to doing it, we’re doing something wrong or being annoying.

We quite literally convince ourselves that it’s wrong to ask people to buy or “sell” ever.

So what ends up happening is we start to lack the confidence in our abilities to sell, make our sales goals, or wait for someone to tell us exactly what they want. Because it’s easier to wait for a customer to be ready to buy and then come seek you out.

Right? Not quite.

I’m here to tell you that it’s actually a disservice to not actively sell what you offer.

If you know what you have is GOOD, that it can and will change someone’s life, or maybe even worked really hard on something to create it - then not selling or telling others about it, is a disservice not only to your brand, but to your customer and what you sell.

Not selling means that you’re preventing someone from accessing the benefits and solutions they may need. You’re also not giving your products a chance to shine.

Not selling means you’re robbing someone the opportunity to experience joy and happiness from what you offer.

Not selling means that you don’t get to share your talents and creations with others and take pride in the work you do.

I get it - it can be scary to put yourself there, especially when you’re afraid of selling, saying the wrong thing, or coming across as “salesy.” It’s natural to experience fear and hesitation when engaging with customers and feel afraid of the rejection you may receive.

Here’s the perfect example.

I’ll never forget when someone told me that “I don’t talk to strangers unless they’re ready to order” after they found me on social, connected with me, and I sent them a “Hi, it’s nice to meet you” message. It was the perfect opportunity for them to connect further with me, share with me about their company, and sell to me!

Yet instead, they were afraid to engage with me, sell to me, or even build a connection - and I wasn’t being convinced to buy. There was nothing drawing me in.

I don’t want this for you.

So let’s fix that! Let’s focus on building confidence around what you sell to make you a better salesperson and also sell more in an authentic, genuine way that removes the fear out of selling.

Here are 8 tips to get you started.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE AGAIN, AND PRACTICE SOME MORE

Sales skills, like any other skills, improve with practice. And lots of it! Regular practice helps us naturally feel more confident and less fearful of outcomes. By practicing interactions, delivery, and verbiage in a controlled environment, it allows you to smooth out any awkwardness and refine your approach.

You also get a taste of what it feels like to say certain words. Saying your sales pitch or interaction out loud helps you hear and adjust your delivery, ensuring it sounds natural and persuasive. Plus, it helps to get any awkwardness out before you engage with customers. It’s always better to get it out with a trusted coworker or mentor than with a customer.

BE OPEN TO FEEDBACK

Asking for feedback on your performance can be intimidating and vulnerable, especially when you’re scared of criticism. However, constructive feedback from coworkers or mentors can significantly improve your sales technique because their insights can help you to refine your approach. They may be able to spot something you didn’t or add perspective to an interaction for you. It’s also much better to hear it from them than in a negative review!

Pro Tip - If you feel that practicing in front of others is daunting, start by asking about their sales strategies and what has worked well for them.

OBSERVE OTHERS IN ACTION

Observing how others interact in sales scenarios, can help us see what works and what doesn’t. It forces you to reflect upon your own actions and what you could try out or change. You can do this a myriad of ways - whether through your own personal experiences as a consumer, watching videos, or even watching coworkers.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IS KEY

Never underestimate the power of product knowledge. Learn everything you can about what you sell - from the production, to design, to even creative ways to use it or apply it. This will create confidence in what you’re offering and help you have a more engaging conversation with customers. The more you know about a product, the easier it is to talk about it and naturally customers will perceive you as more of an expert.

LINK SELLING TO OTHER ITEMS

Link selling, or cross-selling, involves suggesting additional products that complement the primary purchase. Mastering this technique can significantly enhance your sales performance and the customer experience.

Understanding why certain products pair well and how they can improve the customer experience will improve your confidence in what you’re selling because you’re learning how and why everything you offer goes together. It makes your suggestions stronger too. Practicing link selling helps you see the bigger picture, making the sales process feel more natural and less intimidating.

SELL TO BENEFITS

Shifting your focus to discussing benefits of what you sell helps customers see the value of the product or service, making your interaction more compelling and engaging. This approach not only builds your confidence, but also increases the likelihood of closing the sale. It helps you understand why something is actually useful for someone to purchase and makes it feel less transactional for both you and the customer.

SET A GOAL

Setting clear sales goals provides direction and motivation for the work you do. When you have a target to aim for, you can develop a strategy to achieve it and also helps you see what you’re working towards. The key is to make sure to break it down into manageable steps so it feels less overwhelming and more achieveable. I also find that it makes sales feel less transactional because you’re less focused on hitting a big goal, and more focused on achieving smaller day-to-day goals.

And once you’ve reached your goal, you’ll naturally feel more confident which reinforces the belief that you can succeed, helping you overcome the fear of selling.

WEAR WHAT YOU WANT TO SELL

Using and purchasing the products you sell personally can help you gain a better understanding of how something works. Your personal testimony allows you to share genuine feedback and insights with customers to help them better enjoy their purchase. And they’ll appreciate your honesty!

Consider when you’ve interacted with someone who can’t stop talking about how wonderful a product or service was. That energy is infectious and might make you also want the item!

Customers also love to shop what you’re wearing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sold something simply because I was wearing it. It never hurts to infuse what you sell into your dress code so that people can see you using the products first hand and feel inspired by it.

READY TO TRY IT OUT?

Now that we’ve explored 10 different ways to overcome your fear of selling, it’s time to put it into practice (pun intended).

Just remember - building confidence takes time. Be kind to yourself. And share with me in the comments what you’re more looking forward to trying out!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With more than 13 years of experience in luxury retail, Rachel now helps luxury retailers with their customer service, training sales teams, and improving sales performance using consultative selling techniques. She currently serves the Greater Seattle area.

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