How to Sell Without Being Salesy

Today I went to a meetup hosted by the smart and funny Tonya Hofmann, of Stand Out in Your Business and YourLocalCity.com. Hofmann is involved in several ventures, and has been a business owner for over a decade. She talked about how to sell products and/or services without being salesy.

How to Sell Without Being Salesy

1. Get the other person talking. When your potential client opens up about himself first, you can listen for key indicators of what his predominant personality traits are.
2. Four key personality types include the caregiver, analytic, go-getter and social butterfly. Most people fall into at least two of these categories.The following are cues to listen for. People who talk about their pets, children or grandchildren are caregivers. They might also have a job or run a business with the intention of helping people. Those who use words like "statistics, analytics, systems" are analytic, and people who talk about goals, awards they won or "winning" are go-getters. Finally, people who talk about having fun and meeting people are social butterflies.
3. Determine your potential customer's personality type, and tailor your sales pitch accordingly. For example, if your client is an analytic caregiver, you might say your reusable plastic water bottle product has been tested in a lab and was proven safe for children. Of course, you don't want to lie. Tell the truth, but find the benefits of your product/service that will interest your potential customer.
4. Ask for the sale. Hofmann says most people don't get around to this part, a crucial step not to be forgotten.

Another valuable tip Hofmann dropped was to always look for opportunities to meet people. "Don't go to the drive through; go inside. You can't meet people in the drive through. Don't go to the express checkout lane at the grocery store. Stand in the longest line," she said.

And maybe the funniest jewel of wisdom she gave, while wearing a charming smile, was to thank people for being rude or mean to you. "Thank you for being mean to me! Now I know not to refer people to you." "Thank you for being mean to me today! I have a 'no mean people' policy in my business, and now I know I don't want to work with you."