Last September we featured the expert advice of Donald F. Pooley on the topic of 6 Steps To Getting Referrals - Entrepreneur University. Donald is an internationally recognized authority on the marketing of financial services, has shared his knowledge with audiences of financial consultants in Australia, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and all major (and a few minor) cities in Canada. His articles on the marketing of financial services have been published on three continents.

Today Donald shares with us his advice on successful selling for this week’s Entrepreneur University:

“Myth #1: You need to be a “good talker” Anytime a salesperson is talking, the client is formulating objections. That’s just the way the human mind works.

Anytime a salesperson is listening, the client is probably still formulating objections…but at least the salesperson will have an idea about what those objections might be.

Myth #2: You need to be a “good listener”

Most salespeople are good listeners…but they’re good at listening for all the wrong things!

Many sales trainers say to ignore objections and to listen instead for psychological “hooks” or “openings” the prospect may either verbally or non-verbally pass along.

The trainee is then taught to use these hooks to manipulate or cajole the prospect into buying what is offered.

Myth #3: You need to have a lot of self-confidence You only need a lot of self-confidence when you don’t know what you’re selling.

If you “think” you’re selling an insurance package, then of course you need a lot of confidence. (It takes confidence to sell anything you can’t really sell).

Once you know what you’re really selling and gain some skill in selling it over and over again, you’ll never even consider needing any confidence…you’ll just BE confident.

Myth #4: You need the ability to quickly size people up If you spend most of your time searching for your prospect’s weakness to exploit it to your own advantage, you may end up making the transaction, but there’s no way in the world you’ll ever make any sales.

Myth #5: You need to “dominate” your prospect Most people are smart. They’re not fooled by “covert” forms of persuasion. It doesn’t matter how clever or disguised you think these kinds of strategies are. They send up an instant red flag in the mind of every prospect you see.

Myth #6: You need to be one step ahead of your prospect Anytime you’re one step ahead of a prospect, your prospect has fallen twenty steps behind you.

Myth #7: You need special credentials

Entering an expensive university program won’t make you a salesperson anymore than entering a music store will make you a musician.

The only credential you need for sales is the knowledge of what you’re selling.

When you know what you’re selling and possess the specific skills of selling it over and over again, credentials or not, you’ll know how to make the sale!”