Selling is Life
One of the first things I was taught when I entered the world of sales is "if you can sell, you will never be unemployed." The idea behind this was that there are always companies looking for people skilled in sales. There are car dealerships, real estate companies, insurance agencies, furniture stores, etc. etc. that are always hiring. The one thing they have in common is the need for people that can present their product or service to others as a way to solve a need.
Furthermore, the famous A-B-C's of sales is Always Be Closing. Every question you ask, statement you make, or option you suggest needs to be leading to the close. That doesn't mean you try to close the entire deal at once, but you should be trying to close the next step in the process. You don't jump straight to marriage when you meet someone. First you close them on a date, then the next one, and the next one, until you switch to closing them on moving in together maybe, and THEN walking down the aisle. If you aren't trying to move the sale forward, you are simply wasting everyone's time.
It wasn't until I took these principles to heart and realized the true nature of these sayings, however, that I started seeing significant success.
Everything in life is a sale, everything you want is a commission.
Have you every asked someone out on a date or to marry you? Ever gone on a job interview? Have you ever asked your parents for the keys to the car so you could go out with friends?
Whether you realized it or not, you were selling. The commission was the desired outcome. When you asked that cute girl or guy in algebra to the movies, did they say yes? Well you closed the sale, and the date was your commission. When you went to that job interview, you were selling yourself and your experience or abilities. Did you land the job (your commission)? If you successfully closed the sale you did.
In the end, your ability to close comes down to just 3 things and how you connect these things to your target audience's needs.
People, Product, or Price
The tips to closing any deal, whether in business or life, is what I call the 3 P's; people, product, or price. In my experience, if I can't move the process forward to the next step, it always comes down to one of these three things being wrong. When you are selling a car, house, electronic device, whatever, you can have the greatest product in the world for an unbeatable price; but if the customer doesn't like you or how you present yourself, they won't buy. When you apply for a job, you can get along great with the interviewer and be well-qualified for the position, but if you don't present enough value for the price you are asking, you won't be getting a call back. Ever find yourself in a relationship that just is stagnant? Well, either you are no longer sold on the other person (or they are no longer sold on you), you fail to offer an answer to their needs, or the price (financial, emotional, physical, etc.) is too high.
If you find yourself not moving forward in your process, the most important thing is to take a step back and isolate these 3 items and determine where the problem lies and make changes or adjustments accordingly.
A sale is always made
Whether in business or life, in every interaction, a sale is made. Either you make the sale and get your commission (whatever it is you are after), or they sell you on why it's not going to happen. Make the decision to sell, not be sold.
