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."

Notes on 'Super Rich,' by Russell Simmons

I'll admit the title of Russell Simmons' "Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All" enticed me to crack the cover. Yet I learned in the introduction, it's not about gaining material riches. Instead, this book is about being rich in spirit. Sounds pretty cheesy at first, but Simmons explains that being rich in spirit leads to material wealth.

In this book, Simmons extols the benefits of yoga, veganism and Transcendental meditation (TM), the latter of which he gives an introductory course.

Key wealth mindset points I took from this book are as follows:

• No matter what your job, do it with joyful, eager and service-centered mindset. How well you do your current job often determines your success later in life. 
• Wealth does not bring happiness. Those hold too tightly to the trappings of their riches are often seduced by excesses, be it drugs, alcohol, women or flamboyant spending. The result is not happiness, but disillusionment and emptiness. 
• Take time to clear your mind through meditation, prayer, yoga, jogging, creating art or simply becoming engrossed in your work. Simmons writes that of all of these practices, meditation has had a most profound effect on him and his business life. Clearing the mind brings us closer to our higher self. In other words, it brings us closer to god. This is where our inspired ideas come from. It's a wellspring of brilliance that we cannot tap on our own with mind chatter. 
• Don't chase money. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. You must do what you love for the sheer enjoyment of it -- not for the outcome. 
• Give your talents to the world for free. When people sense you want nothing more than to serve the world through your remarkable offerings, they will be moths to your flame. Give your products, services, talents and art without expecting compensation.