Selling Without Selling

Many people find selling so odious. I don't know why. Do you? I enjoy selling a lot, especially when the prospect is all ears to your sales pitch. But even if he or she isn't, I find the challenge to eke out a sale from the cynical an amusing adventure. No, I never hardsell. I'm not that desperate. I still can afford meals even without making any sale in a day. But I keep selling anyway. I just love to sell. It's what I call selling without selling. 

It's more an experiment. Like a dare. You dare yourself to sell like some kind of a game. Never mind if the prospect doesn't buy. Just experiment. Don't target any goal. Just start talking. It starts with a silly thought about making people react and watching them do so. You're like a sociologist or psychologist taking a survey. How would he react when offered to buy an elephant? Would this guy buy at least the idea? Would he bite the bait of my sales closing?

You may try selling an elephant or the North Pole or a real product--your product. Make an adventure of it, instead of a serious sales talk you must close into a purchase. Selling without selling is fun. I know--you have a sales target, a quota, right? No matter. You can try selling without selling. Do it during casual meets with anyone you meet. Don't be too talkative, just get into a conversation naturally. Like what I did one fine Sunday morning...

I and my wife were talking to a friend we've not seen in months. We talked about her work and her coming wedding and her other plans. It was she doing most of the talking. You wouldn't see a trace of me readying a sales remark to be inserted somewhere in the conversation. I was just enjoying everything and obviously relaxed. That's how you settle your prospect and get him or her off guard.

Then I released the bomb. I asked her about her plan to resign from work soon and how someone might try to talk her into doing a direct selling business after she quit work, the latest business that's been somewhat the talk of the town. "What business?" she asked. Well, she shouldn't have asked. That was the opportunity. I casually talked about the product and how it's been benefiting many people and bla, bla, bla. My wife joined in the chorus.

Did she buy? You bet. And she'd be buying more because we've arranged for a demo soon. And the whole thing was so casual. Like how friends would talk about a movie they've seen and then suddenly you remember somethings and say, "Oh by the way, have you heard about the new restaurant in town? You should try it!" No tension, no pressure, and you lose the friendship of fewer people. You know how some people tend to shy away from you after you try to sell them something, as if you've turned into a criminal.

Of course, it's different when you have to present the business during an orientation or during an appointment with a referral who's a total stranger. Get ready for the stress and pressure. But even then, just relax. Do your best, but if no sale materializes, so what? Just enjoy everything and do better next time. Learn from the mistakes or shortcoming if any. Just keep selling without selling.