Last year I worked for a call center troubleshooting printer and computer issues. Then Hewlett-Packard decided they wanted us to add sales to our calls. We were not impressed. For the first few weeks most of us didn't do very well, even with the bosses threatening to fire us for not fulfilling our job requirements.
After awhile we brought in a special instructor to help us generate a sales tactic. Some people benefitted from it and others didn't. What I found was when I fixed an issue successfully, explained the benefits of products that could improve their performance and better their company or personal lives throughout the call, the customer more than often asked if I knew where he/she could purchase such an item for a good price. That was my opening to slide in the fact we had what he needed and I could set him right up at the end of the call. But I didn't push a sale. I didn't even ask if they were interested. I didn't get a sale on very many calls compared to some of my colleagues but the sales I did make usually amounted to enough to keep me on par.
The following article should give you some tips on how to change your selling technique.

The Ultimate Sales Tip - Give Up the Need to Sell
Copyright 2005 Ike Krieger

Most business people will tell you that selling is not
their favorite activity. Let’s explore a way to look at the
process of sales a bit more favorably.

Whether we like it or not---“we’re all in sales”. Most of
us have an internal dialogue about both selling and closing
that is less than positive. Most of us approach the sales
portion of our business hoping we’re not “coming off like a
salesman.”

Most of us hate to be sold to. Most of us have to sell to
live. Most of us realize that in order to keep our business
afloat, we need to sell. I suggest that you give up that
need to sell.

Please notice that I didn’t ask you to give up the
commitment to sell, but rather the need to sell. The
hardest time to do anything is when you need to.

In the revised edition of his book “Man’s Search for
Meaning”, the noted psychiatrist and author Victor Frankl
coined the term “Paradoxical Intentionality”. He defines
“Paradoxical Intentionality” as “The twofold fact that fear
brings about that which one is afraid of, and that
hyper-intention makes impossible that which one wishes.”

In other words, if you need to do something it makes the
task much more difficult. Frankl’s thesis can best be
illustrated by an example with which we all can identify.

The last time you needed to get to sleep because you had
something important to do the next morning… how easy was it
to get to sleep? The last time you needed to stay awake for
the end of a film… how easy was it to stay awake?

So I repeat… give up the need to sell. Be committed 150% to
making the sale but avoid becoming tied to the “outcome” of
making the sale.

This is contrary to what many of us have been taught.
However, if you view yourself as a “problem solver” rather
than a “maker of sales” this concept will make much greater
sense.

I define a problem as, “something that exists when there is
a difference between what you have and what you want.” My
definition of business is, “The ability to solve other
people’s problems and get and make a profit.”

Closing is “the ability to create an environment in which
the prospect can come to the conclusion that our product or
service will solve his/her problem.”

Based on these definitions, our job becomes a process in
which we first uncover whether the prospect has the type of
problems our business solves. Next we have to find out if
the prospect truly believes that a problem exists (and it’s
important to let the prospect be the judge.)

If the prospect believes that there is a problem, and that
the problem is likely to cause monetary or emotional
sacrifices, he or she will be more open to having someone
who can be trusted help solve the problem. In other words,
the prospect begins to close the deal.

Your prospect will begin to convince and influence you that
there is a need for your help. He or she will become the
source of the sales presentation and the close. As
backwards sounding as this may seem… it’s really the way it
works.

Because the responsibility of convincing and influencing is
assumed willingly by the prospect nearly all of the stress
and negativity we associate with selling literally
disappears.

Use this approach to selling and you’ll see a big
difference. Instead of a day filled with trying to sell
things to people, you will get to solve people’s problems.
This is a much more enjoyable way to approach the selling
part of your business.

In summary… give up the need to sell and think of yourself
as a magical problem solver.


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Ike Krieger is a speaker, author and mentor. Ike provides
tips, tools, ideas and resources that focus on sales and
business networking success. Ike will help you get in front
of more of your ideal contacts, and then turn your contacts
into contracts...or clients... more easily and more often.™
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