I read the book “The psychology of selling” by Brian Tracy. Even though the book is not that new, I believe the tips given in the book are still applicable in the modern world. Being one of the most popular sales book, and being an old book, it was interesting that it highlighted the importance of inbound selling even though it did not use always those words. But the key message was the same: Be a helper for your friend rather than a pushy sales person for your customer. It highlighted the importance of understanding your customer and providing solutions to his or her needs.

It made me happy to realize that I can also be successful in sales by being myself, listening to the customer and helping him by finding the best solution for his needs. Nowadays customers have the power as Internet brings more knowledge to them. It is even more important to be honest and provide value to the customer. This will always win a lying sales person who might get a short-term sale done even though even this is more challenging due to the information available for customers today.

The book also taught the importance of asking open-ended questions and to lead by questions. This makes the customer give more information about his situation and the seller will have a better understanding what might be best for him. A rule of 80/20 was given in the book: listen 80% of the time and speak only 20%. This way the customer also feels more valued and will trust the salesperson. If the customer trusts and likes the salesperson, he is also more likely to buy from him. I have learned the importance of this rule during my job in the customer service where my targets and bonus was based on upselling. It was very tricky to find a way for solid results in the first place as I wanted to make a sale as fast as possible. Then I learned to ”get to know” the customer by listening and understanding what they really need and responded with a product that fits to the customers individual situation.

It was interesting that many of the book’s psychological tips can be applied also in e.g sports. The importance of self-esteem was mentioned and many tips for high-performance was given. Say “I like myself, I like myself, I like myself…” in front of the mirror before an important sales meeting and your self-esteem will boost immediatel. The same trick can also be used before any other event such as an important interview. As the book mentioned, higher self-esteem will enhance performance and help you out from the most difficult situations.