This is one of the most common misconceptions about business today. The reason that people think of salespeople as being pushy and aggressive is because for the last 60 years, they have been pushy and aggressive. Most sales people today still are.

The problem lies in the way they've been trained for the last 60 years. Unknowledgeable sales trainers have taught them to use tricks and techniques to persuade prospects into buying our products and joining our companies regardless of whether it was the right thing for them or not. But this is not the way at all. It is unethical.

Professional selling (business) today is about presenting the products, services and business, in an organised fashion, without using trickery or manipulation. It's about having a casual conversation coupled with good questions about what's important to our prospects.

A sales conversation with your prospect should sound as natural as speaking with a good friend in your home, with a cup of coffee, sitting in your favourite easy chair.

Being Aggressive Won’t Get You Sales

When people think of salespeople, one of the unpleasant characteristics that springs to mind is them being pushy or aggressive.

We have all had experiences when the salesman hasn’t stopped talking and you sense yourself being forced to say "yes". Only to feel "sore" that you made a wrong decision.

Many business owners, when presenting their sales pitch, don’t think about whether their style could be perceived as "pushy", and don’t realise what they could be losing.

Definition of Pushy-How it Relates to You and Your Customer

Being pushy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, can be the ruin of a salesperson. But what defines "pushy"?

In a sales context, it means forcing your will onto the buyer, countering resistance with excessive force, using effort to get a result. This is not how to make a sale or encourage someone to buy from you again. Always remember that a customer is with you because he wants to be there and he/she can quickly change his/her mind.

Here are some of the possible outcomes if you are too "pushy" :

You may be lucky to get a customer who is too meek to fight back. You may make a sale from those customers but chances are, they will never buy from you again. Missing out on repeat business means you lose real profits!

If the customer is just as aggressive as you are, an argument quickly develops. You can never close a sale under such circumstances. Worse still, if you are in the retail trade, potential customers wandering around your shop may sense the tense atmosphere and be out of your shop fast!

Double or Triple Your Sales. Follow These Steps:

1. Early in the sales presentation, ask if you can address them by their first name.

2. Actively listen to what the customer is saying. Ask the right questions to find out what the customer is really thinking.

3. Watch their body language. Do they appear happy? If not, step back and use questions to check their mood. Slow the pace down and clarify any concerns.

4. If, at the end of the sales presentation, you still get a "no", don’t argue. Leave the door open for another day.

And whatever you do, don’t follow up a few days later with a telephone call!

Leave the customer alone and he/she may come back of his/her own free will. That is the last resort.