“People like to buy things because they like to solve problems. People don’t like to be sold to because it feels like you’re pushing your problem onto them.” – Mike Simmons & Jacquelyn Nicholson in today’s Tip 1712
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip features both Jacquelyn Nicholson and Mike Simmons in another of their joint tips. Here they are:
Mike Simmons: Jacquelyn, you triggered me today. How did you trigger me today?
Jacquelyn Nicholson: Oh, I triggered you by saying the fateful words when talking about a customer situation saying, I’m not there to sell her anything. And you said, Oh, you triggered me. And I was like, Yeah. And I said, I know why. And you said, So why did you trigger me? I Because I spewed a falsehood, of course I’m there to sell her something. But in reality, the only reason I’m there to sell her something is because I’m there to solve a problem for her. Sales is solving problems. We are there to sell something, but we’re there for the reason that we’re trying to help our customers solve their business problems.
Mike Simmons: It drives me nuts that there’s this negative connotation with the word. And there are so many people that do it. And I don’t think they mean to do anything poorly or bad or have negative intention.
Jacquelyn Nicholson: Oh, my God. I didn’t mean to do it either. And I said it, and I’m in the profession.
Mike Simmons: When they say it out loud. I’ve been in rooms with founders, clients, founders who say, I’m not here to sell you anything, or we’re not here to sell you anything. The thing that I hear immediately when someone says that is I’m not here to help you solve a problem.
Jacquelyn Nicholson: And that’s bad because it’s the exact opposite of what we’re trying to do. And even I get caught up in the poor use of words. We just need to be better with it.
Mike Simmons: So one of the questions I like to ask when speaking in front of groups is in this context is, how many people like to be sold to?
Jacquelyn Nicholson: Oh, I like that question.
Mike Simmons: And typically, what do you think the response is?
Jacquelyn Nicholson: Well, people say no because there’s a negative connotation of being sold to.
Mike Simmons: And you pause and you let everybody work through it. And there’s somebody who will raise their hand and say, I like to be sold to for whatever reason. And then my follow-up question is, how many of you like to buy things? What do you think the reaction is there?
Jacquelyn Nicholson: The hands go up. I love to buy things.
Mike Simmons: Everybody smiles, or most people smile, and they relax, and their shoulders come down. And it’s this It’s an experience that happens where all of a sudden people realize, I don’t like to be sold to. I do like to buy things. And really, all it is, is just this switching of context. You don’t like to have people do things to you. You do like to do things for yourself. And you wouldn’t mind if someone helped you do things for yourself a bit better. So we, as sales professionals, should look at… We, as people who provide solutions out there, we as people who want to help others solve problems, should look at this and say, Am I actually helping or serving a person, helping bring them along, lead, guide, or am I doing something to them because I’m looking for something on the other side? Which perspective am I taking? People like to buy things because they like to solve problems. People don’t like to be sold to because it feels like you’re pushing your problem onto them.
Jacquelyn Nicholson: Oh my God. This is pure gold. You might be the first guest on my podcast if I ever launch one.
Scott Ingram: For links to connect with both Jacquelyn and Mike, just click over to DailySales.Tips/1712. Once you’ve done that, be sure to come back tomorrow for another great sales tip. Thanks for listening!