‘Success in Selling … for Introverts Like Me’ by Troy White

Clayton Makepeace has released the latest issue of ‘Total Package’. The featured article by Troy White is titled “Success in Selling… for Introverts Like Me”. [‘Success in Selling’ Article]

Clayton Makepeace has released the latest issue of ‘Total Package’.

The featured article:

Fellow Business-Builder,

Despite what some people think, not ALL sales people are big-talking slicksters.

Many of the most successful sales pros I met in my corporate sales days were laid-back decent people. (For ten years, I sold high end computer Unix servers, desktops and storage/backup systems.)

I also met many a smooth talker that excelled in sales.

But I was that quiet type.

The one who was never the loudest in the crowd.

I was watching and listening to everyone else in the room and learned FAR more that way than being the life of the party.

Also, I was the one who worried FAR more about the relationship sale than the quick buck.

Yet, I was the one who was able to crack a $3 million dollar deal … when every smooth talker under the sun had tried (yet failed). They bought from me because I stuck in there and worked more on understanding them than pitching them.

Sometimes the relationship sale takes longer, other times it is the only way that works in the end.

But there is one thing that introverts and extroverts alike need to have as part of their selling and marketing tool kit …

…the ability to just be yourself.

I remember when I worked for Hewlett Packard in their corporate sales division.

They had all of the new recruits shipped down to Palo Alto, California for nearly six months of training (tough, I know).

Product training and sales training day in and day out.

Exceptional training.

But when it came time to go out into the ‘real world’ and start using some of the sales techniques they trained us on …

…it just didn’t feel natural.

It wasn’t me.

So I came up with my own unique style … and it DID work.

Big deals started closing … and I could sleep at night.

You must have found this too.

All the best training in the world available at your finger tips … but it just doesn’t feel natural to you.

It makes you uneasy when you try to use it in your marketing.

It sometimes makes you cringe to read it.

And you wonder if the way you were taught IS the only way.

Look at all the ‘gurus’ out there.

Their way is the RIGHT way, at least according to them. Not only the right way … but the ONLY way (again, according to them).

So you pay $55,346 for that box of cds, cassettes and binders.

You pour through it.

You start implementing things into your marketing.

And you see positive results.

Maybe not the $4 million a day like they sold you on, but still better off than you were.

So you try another couple of techniques and see even more growth.

This continues for a while and you have built up a decent marketing system …

…but something STILL doesn’t feel right to you.

You know what it is?

Your unique personality and charm built into your marketing.

One of our Guest Contributors, the incredible Drayton Bird actually oozes charm, humor and personality.

He has been knocking them out of the park for 50 years.

And continues to showcase his unique way of injecting humor and sales skills all in one.

And I recently had the privilege of spending 75 minutes with him on the phone. You can get the interview here if you want it
.

A couple days ago he surprised me and mentioned me (favorably even :O) on his blog.

Make SURE you watch his short video!

He addresses this question of charm in your marketing … and in six minutes he distills down one of the most important keys to writing with influence.

Five key principles for using your individuality in your marketing that will transform your sales and easily attract the right kind of buyers into your business.

I don’t have nearly the experience, breadth or track record Drayton does, but I would like to add my two cents worth on this as well.

Be your best, most authentic self in your marketing

Talk with your clients and prospects – not at them

Keep it short and punchy, while still getting your main points across (to introverts like me, nothing drives me more crazy than someone, especially sales people, who drone on and on about nothing!)

Find unique ways to inject humbleness and humor in your marketing

Talk about things highly personal to you: your children, your pets, your spouse, your passions or hobbies. Talking about those things easy draws out the passion in your writing. Make sure you adhere to point #3 above though while doing this!

Actually spend some time getting to know who you are talking to. Unlike the aggressive sales person example: they don’t care who you are – only that you have a credit card in hand (think much of the nonsense going on in the ‘guru’ space these days. Gotta credit card? Good – you are my ideal client!).

Find a good story in everything. Again, introverts aren’t typical story tellers – but they can learn to be. Dale Carnegie Training (the Human Relations course) is excellent for this. As is the book The Artists Way.

Have a toolkit with three or five core stories you can tell. Bring them out when the person and situation is appropriate. Just because you have told the story 50 times, doesn’t mean they have heard it before.

Be real, and follow your intuition when dealing with people. Canned approaches shine through – but genuine personality glows MUCH brighter.

Have a great week.

Please share!

To your success,

Troy White

Editor, Small Business Mastery

Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Troy White is a top marketing coach, consultant & direct response copywriter based in Calgary, Canada. He has a powerful approach to growing small businesses and entrepreneurial run ventures on a budget. His FREE Cash Flow Surges newsletter shares tons of great strategies.

He also publishes the incredibly powerful Cash Flow Calendar system that gives you daily, weekly and monthly marketing ideas to promote your business and stand out from the crowd. Click here to get your free tips for growing your business!

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

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*IMNewsWatch would like to thank Clayton Makepeace for granting permission to reprint this article.