Always Be Charming

In sales, the key to getting people to like you... is you. I spend vast amount of my time talking to my prospects on the phone. You don’t have to go to charm school to learn how to charm your customer.

If you ask the top successful salesperson in any company, “What makes you different from the average sales rep?” you will most likely get a less-than-accurate answer.  The salesperson may not even know the real answer because most successful salespeople are simply doing what comes naturally.

The other day, I was talking to Susan Gallagher at American Express one of the top high performer colleagues of mine of what makes her different and successful? She said, always be charming. She is one of the top salespeople that can pick up the phone and close a multi-million business deal in an hour. She is the one titled this article – Always Be Charming.

Here are the tips of becoming a customer magnet whether you are in field sales or selling on the phone.

·      Charm the person with genuine charisma so that they like you and want to buy with you. Be friendly and have a positive outlook in life.

·      Forget the manipulative sales tactics you may have been taught. Focus on being a genuine human being and building rapport.  Try a little humor too.

·     Smile can go a long way. Customers can tell on the phone if you are smiling. Smile and be confident. This subconsciously shows to the prospect that you are not a threat and that you enjoy your time with them.

·      Don’t dive to your pitch right away. Keep it light and personal if you want. Talk about the weather, travel, kids or anything that is easy to relate on. This simple short non-business-related conversation keeps things casual and builds trust before you dive into the serious sales talk.

·      Whatever your passions are both for work and fun, bring them out. Don’t try to lie, manipulate or trick them into buying from you. You just want to build rapport and get them to like you.

Not all salespeople are successful. Given the same sales tools, level of education, and propensity to work, why do some salespeople succeed where others fail? Is one better suited to sell the product because of his or her background? Is one more charming or just luckier? 

The personalities of the truly great salespeople play a critical role in determining their success. And the key to selling is honesty, integrity and a balance of CHARM.