don’t sell, help

“When you are genuinely trying to be helpful when it comes to addressing your customer’s needs, your sales pitches will be far more successful.”

— Brian Tracy

Whether you’re a scientist, a musician, a software engineer or an architect, at the end of the day we’re all selling something. We are all either selling ourselves or selling our products and creations. And that’s why no matter what you do, learning how to sell is a critical skill that you must learn in order to achieve incredible success, both personally and professionally.  

When it comes to selling, one important insight that we all must keep at the back of our heads as we go through our days is: don’t sell, help. 

The other person needs to see you as someone who is their genuine ally and is helping them solve a problem through the product or service that you’re offering. 

Think of it. What drives people to buy a new product, tool, or service? They are struggling with a problem or an issue, and they believe that that product, tool, or service will help them fix that.

This is why it’s your job — as a servant leader and as a superior human — to serve others and be as helpful as you can without any selfish motives. 

Just focus on helping the people who come across you and your work, and detach from making sales. This counterintuitive approach will actually bring you more sales than you ever thought were possible. 

As T. Harv Eker writes, “If you sell, you will fail. By helping you build credibility and rapport. People will believe in you, and because of that, you can show them the value in your product or service. And they will buy from you.”