How You Can Sell Without Selling.
Hey Everyone!
Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians out there, and happy upcoming Independence Day to all my American friends in just a few days.
Today, I want to discuss the idea of "selling without selling" and what that means. Many people starting an online business or affiliate marketing think they need to become salespeople. They imagine themselves as car sales person, a furniture salespeople, or salespeople in any other field, believing they need to be proficient in sales.
That's not true.
The reality is you can sell WITHOUT selling by being authentic and establishing trust with your audience. Here’s how you do that:
Key Takeaways from this video:
- Help Your Audience: The easiest and most efficient way to establish trust with your audience is to help them solve a problem. Provide valuable information that addresses their needs and be genuine throughout the process.
- Make Recommendations: Once you've built trust by helping your audience, you can make product and service recommendations without coming across as a salesperson. You’re simply suggesting products or services that can further assist them, often things they already want to buy.
- Approach from a Help Standpoint: Instead of thinking about selling, focus on helping. When you prioritize helping people, you naturally build trust, and your recommendations will be more effective.
- Be Authentic: Authenticity in your content is crucial. As you build out your website, social channels, or YouTube channel, the more genuine you are, the easier it will be to sell without actually selling.
Let’s Get the Conversation Rolling...
Share your comments, feedback, and any questions you have about this topic in the comments below. Let’s get this conversation started!
Recent Comments
106
I believe too many people still consider a "salesperson" as someone who could step out of a 1960s black-and-white film. The smooth talk, the pinstripe suit, the shiny teeth the shiny car...you get the picture. In reality, those people were rarely successful and were "here today, gone tomorrow" characters. And chances are, if you ever met such a salesperson, you probably didn't buy from them. So it's no different when buying online. Potential buyers see through the insincere posts and quickly move on. Just remember to ask yourself how you like to be treated. At the end of compiling a post, thoroughly read it and ask yourself if you would trust the script. If you don't then spend some time tweaking it. If you do, then publish it. It could be the most productive ten minutes you spend in a day.
The main difference online is that people will quickly vacate a website if they are feeling like they are being sold to by that guy in the pin stripe suit...whereas when you are in person, it is more difficult to leave the situation.
The greatest "salespeople" around, and the ones I have looked up to, are those that lead with value, and continue value through the entire process. Help people, and never ask for them to "buy" something until you have actually authentically helped them. This is the approach not only to create customers, but also a long term brand. :)
Hi Kyle...I have my niche as affiliate marketing, i.e. promoting WA. What types of products would I be offering up as recommendations aside from WA itself? I thought I would do it this way as I learn the training and then set up another hub more specific to something I'm more familiar with next, but have I limited myself doing it this way do you think? Obviously new to affiliate marketing so relying on research and AI for articles and content, but I guess that's how it can be with any niche?
You can check the programs you have within your hub; it should tell you and as per category.
It would really depend on the audience that you are targeting within the article. Let's just take an article about email marketing, you could promote "autoresponder" software along side with Wealthy Affiliate, along side other tools/platforms that would be useful.
Think of promotion on a "per article" basis, versus on a per site. You want to help people about a particular topic and then make a RELEVANT product/service recommendation.
Good morning Kyle,
Thank you for another great training video, Kyle, it's appreciated.
I'm glad that I don't have to sell as I have never felt like a salesman type, helping people is far more natural for me. One of the many things that I like about Wealthy Affiliate is the fact that this is something that you have always taught on the platform. The fact is that this process obviously works, as this is what you have based and grown your business on.
I noticed that you mentioned about being authentic; I really think it's so important that we are our very own unique selves and not trying to be someone else. As I believe that potentially everyone has something to bring to the table!
Wishing you a fantastic Wednesday.
Roy
Yeah it is something that we have always taught, and it is actually the basis of how we built the platform here at WA. We built it off of helping people, and putting PEOPLE first (before our bank accounts).
The thing is even when you help people, and you make a product/service recommendation that seems "off base" (ie, you are simply recommending the most expensive product), that shows through right away and people will see through it.
We can help people in any niche, and we can do so quite fast. Be authentic in the process, and your long term brand will start to take shape! :)
Good morning Kyle,
This is one of the many reasons I trust your system so much, Kyle, due to the fact, that you have built such a strong business on these principles!
I think there's always that temptation to try and recommend the most expensive product or the product with the highest commission. However, I want to give people genuine information and the fact that people can see right through that type of marketing says a lot.
I always think it's good to be ourselves and not try and be anyone else, we all carry a certain uniqueness that people can hopefully like!
Have a fantastic Thursday.
Roy
Yeah, copy our model in any niche. It is all we really know, well...I have tried strategies along my journey where I would hard sell people on relevant paid traffic, and I quickly realized that doesn't work well online.
People search for things to find solutions to their problems, to look for reviews, to find walk-throughs. Provide them with that are looking for in a helpful, authentic way...and THEN you can make relevant product/service recommendations that will help them out. ;)
It's always good to be able to learn from people who have been and are successful, Kyle!
Before I make any purchase of a product, I always like to thoroughly research the item. This is one of the many amazing things regarding the Internet, we can cross reference subjects and really check things out.
A very happy Friday to you.
Roy
I think selling without selling is ideal!
In my day job I sell advertisements. When I call people, they usually know what I want. Some of them do the ad, some don't. They know I am there to sell them an ad.
In my business blogs it is different because I recommend things and may include an affiliate link. So far it has been for products or services that I am familiar with. My primary goal is to help the person who finds my article. If that help comes through offering an Amazon link to a book or a saddle or a new set of less expensive diabetic test strips or a membership to Wealthy Affiliate, whatever it is, I do it because I want them to be helped!
Helping others is my first priority and making money and leaving a legacy for my grandchildren is the second priority!
Karin
Interesting, as you are seeing it from both perspectives and perhaps you could apply this logic of helping first, and then making recommendations to people within your day job as well. Instead of just calling them to sell, perhaps you could lead with a bit more help and that may lead to closing at a much higher rate. just a consideration.
In the online world, it is even more important though because people can simply "click away" if they are not getting the authentic/helpful vibe...so we have to make sure we are doing a good job of that.
Sounds like you have a really good grasp of this concept here Karin, I know it is going to take you places!
That is an interesting thought and I have played with it several times. I want to ask my advertisers what they would like from me and what they would like to see for advertising. I have a lot of ideas just short on hours in the day to accomplish everything!
Online world is harder because I only offer help for the most part. I am not an aggressive salesperson but I feel that what I do offer will sell itself eventually because I believe in it.
Karin
Yeah, I hear you on not enough hours in the day. If only there were a few more hours in the day! :)
And it is great if you are no good at selling, you are going to come across as being authentic when you do make product/service recommendations because you are simply going to be recommending things that are good value (in terms of their money vs value trade off), and that will truly benefit your audience. :)
See more comments
Great video Kyle, it makes perfect sense to me, if you want to encourage more potential sales, you need to offer them help right at the outset, not tell them what they have to do, but show them, that you will work with them to solve a problem, offer suggestions and advice to build trust between you and your customer.
Communication is so important, let them explain the issues, give them some breathing space so they don't feel pressured or obliged to pay for your services in exchange for help. You will only win trust and confidence from the customer when they feel that you have supported them and helped them to successfully deal with their problem.
Rebecca