Selling & Influencing

This article was on how selling and influencing are best done through questions and information gathering.

The gist of the article is that

• Selling is part of the bigger picture of ‘influencing’
• In influencing we aim to change peoples’ minds
• Respectful influencing (and selling) actively engages the other person – they evaluate the option, the offering or the opportunity – and then they decide based on how effectively it fulfils their values.
• In this way influencing and selling are not about overcoming obstacles – they are about seeking a win-win for everyone
• Even when, in selling, you do not make the sale you do

• maintain the relationship with the customer
• keep the doors open for future selling opportunities
• create a potential ‘ambassador’ for yourself. They recognise you as somebody who works ethically and are more likely to refer others to you .

The article has been up-dated and extended and was published on 24 May 2012.