Selling is the fuel that drives the business. We are all eager to sell more. But the funny thing is… sometimes the best way to sell more is to stop “selling” and start “engaging.” Because? Selling is a process, not an event. When we think of the sale as an “event” or a one-time transaction, we feel the urge to close the deal immediately, often by using “hard sell” and closing techniques that push the prospect to act immediately. While this can be effective at times, there are several shortcomings that can lead to less sales instead of more. The “hard sell” approach needs a rethink in today’s Internet economy for several key reasons:

1. Pushing people is inconsistent with their natural buying process: Most people don’t make snap decisions to buy. They do some research, compare, narrow down the options, make comparisons, and then make a final selection. Put another way, they have a “process” they go through that makes them feel comfortable with their decision. As sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer says in his Little Red Book of Selling, “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy.”
2. High pressure is a turn off: Because the pressure selling approach pushes people beyond their comfort zone, it turns off many prospects. They may like what you have to offer, but need a little time to “warm up” to buy from you. High blood pressure is a turn off for these people, so they decide to leave and buy from someone else they feel more comfortable with.
3. Focused on one sale: Even when you do make the sale, the hard sell approach has a shortfall because it focuses on making just “one” transaction. This approach does nothing to gain a customer for life. As a result, these customers are much less likely to return for repeat business or to provide referrals to others.
4. Poor fit for Internet reality: In the online world of the Internet, everything is just “one click” away. As a result, if people don’t like your “selling” approach, even if they like what you offer, they may instantly leave your site and go to a competitor. Why risk losing people to a competitor?

Okay, so what is “Engaging” People all about? We want to sell. That is our ultimate goal and an economic necessity, but we must do it the right way. A way that is consistent with the way people buy naturally and that works in the reality of the Internet, and that is to start “Involving” them. Instead of selling them why our product/service is great, provide valuable information that will engage them, attract them to your brand or company, and establish you as a thought leader. People want to feel comfortable with the company they buy from. Have an “about us” page that shares your company’s unique story and why it exists. Earn people’s trust by providing them with information that helps them learn more and reflect on the decision-making process, as well as show them that you have a unique insight and understanding of their situation. To really attract visitors to your website, let your company’s personality, or brand personality, shine through so they develop a different feeling about your website and company. Even on the Internet, people are looking for a feeling of “connection”, so be different and have a unique personality. Go to Apple’s website and compare it to Lenovo’s personality, for example. Both are great companies, but have very different personalities. How are you different? What is the personality of your brand? How should you take advantage of this to design the information on your website in a different and compelling way? When we think of “attract,” the goal of website content is not to sell right away, but to create a place where people get what they want. We give them compelling reasons to come back when they’re ready to make a purchase. We want to start a dialogue, or a “brand conversation.” We want to convince them that we “get it” and show them that we are different in a meaningful way. This will motivate them to come back, contact us, or fill out a web form that leads them down the path to conversion. Ultimately, we sell more when we engage people and start a conversation that fits with how they naturally like to buy. When we “engage” customers, they will buy, buy again, and also refer their friends to us. This is how we create customers for life.