7 Ways to Cut Loose from Old Sales Thinking

Ending old habits can be a difficult task, but if you follow these seven tips, then your transition to new sales thinking could go a lot smoother.

-Start by defining what your old sales thinking is, and come up with concrete examples of when it doesn't work to sell your products. 

-Shift the way you present information in meetings from throwing out ideas and defending them to asking questions and seeking feedback from others. 

-Practice saying "No" to your boss instead of trying to please them all the time. Learn how to say "No" for the sake of saying "Yes". 

-Make a list of what you need to accomplish in your next sales meeting, and spend less time talking. 

-Be aware of the language you use. Don't rely on cliches and learn to give solutions instead of describing problems. 

-Understand why people want your product or service, and then tie that into one of the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, greed, lust, anger, gluttony or sloth. 

-Try to get more people involved in a sales meeting as opposed to making it one-on-one with just you and the prospect. This way you can get feedback from others on how well your ideas are working before moving forward with them.

-Challenge yourself to come up with at least six unique and creative ways for a prospect to get the benefits of your product or service.

-Change your vocabulary as you work on your new sales thinking. For example, substitute "negative" for "detrimental", "opportunity" for "opportunity cost" and "incentive" for "incentive compensation".

-While you're at it, make sure you say something nice instead of something negative, too. Examples: It's a win/win situation...I'd love to work with you...You're a great salesperson...I could go on and on.

-Always, always, always use the Power of Positive words. For instance: Incentive compensation instead of pay for performance. Cost plus pricing instead of cost per unit.

-Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help in shifting your thinking process. We all make mistakes along the way, so tell us if we're doing anything wrong!

-What are some things you've done to get rid of old sales thinking and move forward? What type of things worked?

About the Author: This post was written by Vincent Wong - a professional copywriter who has a knack for making colorful marketing concepts come to life in print and online media.