If you are a new small business owner, you probably started your venture because you love what you do. It takes energy, endurance, and wisdom to take an idea from conception to a profitable business. And a vital piece of that profitability puzzle is your revenue. Sales.

As a business advisor for Gehman Accounting, I handle sales for our advising team. And I love it. Love it! Nothing is easier than talking to people about something that I know works and will bring value to their lives. Throughout my day, I have the opportunity to talk to other business owners about growing their business’ revenue. Increasing sales.

I hear many different opinions and thoughts about sales. Traditional salespeople can get a bad reputation, but thankfully, sales methods have drastically changed. And I think it’s time we dismantle the old myths we sometimes believe about sales and how to sell. Here are a few statements that I’ve heard:

1. I don’t have the right personality to sell.

This thought is one that I hear quite often, and it can be especially detrimental. Did you know that studies show there is no measurable difference in the closing rates of different personality types?

People like to buy in different ways. Some like to be talked to. Others like to be left alone. Some reach out to you after having researched your product to death and know more about it than you do. Some have not researched a bit and want to be told about what you can provide.

Learning to recognize how someone wants to buy is vital in promoting your product or service. This is a skill that most of us can learn. You are in the people business! Be a student of people and you can sell.

Related: Guidance to Transform Your Business - Gehman Business Advisors

2. He’s such a good salesman he could sell sand at the beach.

We have all heard the phrase, and I realize that this is just an idiom. But it’s a bothersome one. Probably one of the reasons it gets to me is that I love to sell, and this saying puts us salesmen in a bad light.

A good product or service solves a problem. A good salesman helps people solve problems by connecting them with goods or services. If your product doesn’t solve a problem or add value to your customer, direct them towards something or someone that will.

You are not a salesman if you sell sand at the beach. You are a con man. If your product is not the best fit for a potential customer, tell them. There is a difference between up-selling and taking advantage of someone.

3. All that matters is closing the sale.

While this may be true in a business that cares only about revenue and has no interest in repeat customers, chances are you care about people and you want to see them return.

Do you want to keep your customers from returning? Then create “buyer’s remorse”. Close on a sale that was not in the buyers’ best interest and you most likely will not see them walk through your doors again.

Something to keep in mind is that closing a sale is not the final engagement in the sales process. It is the beginning of the next one. But more on that in another article…

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions on the subject of sales. Feel free to email me at stevem@gateam.com. Blessings!