The Solopreneur’s Selling Revelation: It’s Not What You Do, It’s Why You Do It
Hey there, fellow solopreneurs! Buckle up, because today we’re going to dive into one of the biggest misconceptions that could be costing you sales and revenue – and I mean a whole lot of both. After coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs in the arenas of sales, marketing, and business development, I’ve discovered a ginormous mistake that most salespeople make, and it’s time we nipped it in the bud.
Are you ready for this? Brace yourselves: Most people in sales think that selling is something you do to people, not something you do for them. Mind-blowing, right? But stick with me, because I’m about to blow the lid off this outdated belief and reveal the truth about what selling really means.
The Origin Story: From Natural-Born Salespeople to Sales-Haters
Here’s the thing: we’re all born as natural-born salespeople. Think about it – when you were a baby, you could sell your mom on waking up in the middle of the night to play with you for hours. As kids, we’d persistently ask our parents for cookies or toys, not taking no for an answer. We didn’t have any negative associations with persuasion back then – we just wanted what we wanted, and we weren’t afraid to go after it.
So, what happened? How did we go from being mini salespeople extraordinaire to developing an aversion to the very idea of selling? Well, my friend, it’s because we learned to hate it. And the culprit behind this learned behaviour? Yup, you guessed it – bad sales experiences.
See, the good sales experiences are so seamless, so effortless, that we don’t even register them as “being sold to.” We just feel like we bought something we wanted, and that’s that. But oh boy, do we remember the bad ones. Those cringe-worthy moments when a pushy salesperson tried to force something down our throats, making us feel gross, uncomfortable, and desperate to escape. It’s those experiences that make us swear off selling altogether, vowing never to inflict such torture on another human being.
But here’s the kicker: those awful sales encounters weren’t selling at all – they were just terrible examples of people who didn’t understand the true art of selling.
The Solopreneur’s Selling Epiphany: It’s Not About You, It’s About Them
So, what is selling really about? Well, buckle up, because I’m about to drop some serious knowledge bombs on you.
Selling is not convincing people to buy something they don’t want, don’t need, and can’t afford. That’s just pushing products, and nobody wants to be on the receiving end of that. True selling is about helping people make a decision they already desire to make, for their own reasons.
Let me repeat that: selling is about helping people make a decision they already desire to make, for their own reasons.
When a salesperson is truly skilled, they’re not talking to their prospect about their own needs or quotas – they’re talking to them about the prospect’s reasons for wanting or needing the product or service. It’s not about “please listen to my presentation so I can make my numbers.” It’s about “What are your goals, your desires, your pain points, and how can I help you achieve or solve them?”
Take the iPhone, for example. Nobody was born wanting an iPhone – we had to learn to desire it. But Steve Jobs, bless his soul, created an ecosystem that made people fanatical about Apple products. He didn’t sell iPhones; he helped people make the decision to buy an iPhone because they felt like they wanted and needed it.
That’s the key: selling is not convincing; it’s persuasion. Convincing is attempting to get someone to make a decision you desire for your reasons. Persuasion is helping them make a decision they already desire for their own reasons.
The Solopreneur’s Selling Superpower: Caring Deeply
As a solopreneur, you have a superpower that most salespeople lack: the ability to genuinely care about the people you serve. You’re not just another cog in a corporate machine; you’re the face, the heart, and the soul of your business. Use that superpower to your advantage.
When you truly care about your prospects and customers, selling becomes an act of service, not manipulation. You’re not trying to push products or hit quotas; you’re trying to understand their desires, their pain points, and their goals, and then showing them how your offering can help them achieve those things.
What is the secret ingredient to a great sales experience? Love the people you sell to. Love them so much that you’ll only sell them things that will genuinely improve their lives. If what you’re offering isn’t a good fit for them, have the integrity to walk away – because, at the end of the day, your reputation and their trust are worth more than any single sale.
The Solopreneur’s Selling Playbook: Asking Questions and Providing Context
So, how do you put this into practice? It all starts with asking the right questions. Before you can help someone make a decision they already desire, you need to understand what that desire is.
If you sell insurance, ask about their family goals, their children’s education plans, and their retirement aspirations. If you sell cars, ask what’s prompting their search for a new vehicle – is it safety concerns, a growing family, or a desire for more eco-friendly transportation? Keep asking questions until you’ve uncovered the true reasons behind their interest.
Once you understand their desires, you can provide the context – you can show them how your offering is the shortcut, the fast track, to achieving those goals and fulfilling those desires.
It’s not about rattling off features and specs; it’s about painting a vivid picture of how your product or service will transform their lives for the better. It’s about speaking to their emotional core, not just spouting facts and figures.
The Solopreneur’s Selling Ethos: A Moral Obligation
But wait, there’s more! Not only is selling a service when done right, but it’s also a moral obligation. Yes, you read that correctly – a moral obligation.
In Proverbs 11:26, King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived, said, “He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.”
In other words, if you have something good – something that can sustain and improve people’s lives – you have a moral duty to do everything in your power to sell it to as many people as possible. And if you withhold that goodness from them, they’ll curse you. But if you share it, if you sell it to them, they’ll bless you.
As a solopreneur, you have the opportunity to be a blessing to the world by selling your products and services with integrity, care, and a genuine desire to improve people’s lives. Embrace that opportunity, and watch as your business flourishes in ways you never imagined.
The Solopreneur’s Selling Manifesto
So, let’s wrap this up with a solopreneur’s selling manifesto – a pledge to embrace the true art of selling:
- I will not think of selling as something I do to people, but rather something I do for them.
- I will seek to understand my prospects’ desires, goals, and pain points before ever attempting to sell them anything.
- I will ask questions, listen intently, and provide context by showing how my offering can fulfil their desires and solve their problems.
- I will love the people I sell to, and I will only sell them things that will genuinely improve their lives.
- I will embrace my moral obligation to share my goods and services with as many people as possible, for I am a blessing to the world.
- I will let go of pushy tactics, manipulation, and self-serving motives, and instead operate from a place of service and care.
- I will trust that when I sell from the heart, with integrity and a genuine desire to help, success will inevitably follow.
Fellow solopreneurs, the world of selling is ours for the taking – but only if we approach it from the right mindset. Let’s ditch the outdated notion of selling as something we do to people, and instead embrace it as something we do for them. When we operate from a place of service, care, and moral obligation, we become true blessings to the world, and our businesses will thrive as a result.
Are you ready to embark on this selling revolution? Then let’s get to work, one question, one conversation, one transformed life at a time. The world is waiting for us to share our gifts, an
Here is a continuation of the essay:
The world is waiting for us to share our gifts, and there’s no better time than now to start. So, let’s go forth and sell with purpose, integrity, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those we serve.
Remember, selling isn’t about pushing products or hitting quotas – it’s about understanding desires, solving problems, and being a blessing to the world. When you approach it from that mindset, the sales will follow naturally, and you’ll find yourself not just succeeding in business, but making a real, tangible impact on the lives of others.
So, fellow solopreneurs, let’s make a pact – a pact to redefine what it means to sell. Let’s leave behind the outdated, pushy tactics of the old and instead embrace a new paradigm of selling as service, selling as care, and selling as a moral obligation.
When we do that, when we truly understand that selling is something we do for people, not to them, everything changes. Suddenly, the sales process becomes a joy, a privilege, a chance to connect with others and help them achieve their dreams and aspirations.
And that, my friends, is the true power of selling – not just closing deals or hitting targets, but changing lives, one conversation at a time.
So go forth, sell with purpose, and watch as your business transforms into something truly remarkable. The world is waiting for you, and there’s never been a better time to embrace the solopreneur’s selling revolution.
Are you in? Then let’s get to work, one desire, one solution, one transformed life at a time. The future of selling is here, and it’s more beautiful than you’ll ever imagine.
Remember to check out our upcoming article in this series: Make Selling Simple – Part 2
Source: This article was inspired by “Selling Without Selling – Selling Simplified” By Myron Golden.