Vol. 2- The #1 Rule of Sales

Hustle- verb; to act aggressively especially in business dealings.
Hustler- noun; an enterprising person, someone determined to succeed, a go-getter.

Selling is like engaging in battle. In this battle, there are two opposing sides. Each side has its own objective. Your objective is to receive a desired amount of money for your product, service or idea from your opponent. Your opponent’s goal is not to get ripped-off. Your opponent avoids being ripped-off by purchasing your product, service or idea for less than your desired amount OR by not purchasing what you are selling at all. The side that meets its objective…wins.

So what is the most effective way to increase your probability of winning a battle?

Let’s see what the masters of battle say.

In Sun Tzu’s ancient military strategy book, The Art of War, he states that the ultimate form of battle is the ability to win without actually having to fight.

In the classic movie, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee referred to his style of Kung Fu as “The art of fighting, without fighting.”

Believe it or not, like these masters of battle, I believe that the most effective way to sell is actually NOT to sell at all!

The #1 Rule of Sales is NOT to sell. – Hotep

Now, of course I don’t mean not to make your offering available for purchase. What I DO mean is that the best and easiest way to make sales is to eliminate your opponents concern about being ripped-off.

This can be accomplished in 1 of 2 ways:

By penetrating your opponent’s natural defense (make them drop their guard); or
By letting your opponent feel like they have won the battle (playing possum).

Penetrate the Defense

Almost every customer enters a sales scenario (battle) with his or her guard up. A salesman must first dis-arm their opponent in order to make the sale.

Most sales people attempt to dis-arm their customer with force. The problem with that approach is that every action is met by an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, if you “attack” with a strong obvious sales pitch (as most people do), you will only cause your opponent to immediately “fight back” with an equally strong and opposite reaction. Just like in any war, if you make an offensive move, your opponent will only respond with more defense.
I’ve found that you can achieve your goal more easily and effectively by making the customer feel as if there is no battle in the first place! Once they no longer feel threatened, they will put down their guard. Since your customer is less defensive, you can guide their attention to your offering more quickly and effortlessly, therefore, increasing your chances of winning a sale.

This method is demonstrated in the martial art named Aikido, which is performed by using the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of an attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical energy, as the aikido practitioner “leads” the attacker’s momentum.

Let them Win

Some opponents simply will not let their guard down no matter what you do. They know that the art of sales is like a battle, so they will remain defensive. This is OK. The fact that they are interacting with you means that you still have an opportunity to win! The key here is to keep in mind that your opponent’s objective is not to get ripped-off. They want to win just as badly as you do. I say…let them!

If your customer believes that you are engaged in battle, put up the white flag! Throw in the towel! Give in to their demands! Once you’ve show the willingness to stop fighting, your customer will feel like they have the advantage. This is a good thing! You want your opponent to feel empowered because then they will be more likely to make an offensive move.

In sales, an offensive move by a customer is usually either: 1) Buying from you; 2) Trying to negotiate price/ terms; or 3) Wanting to become friends and stay in contact.

Either way, by simply letting the customer “win” you will create several prime sales opportunities for yourself with little effort.

This strategy is employed often in the military game of Chess, where a player will sacrifice one of his or her own pieces only to make the opponent feel overly confident and make a move in haste (which often lands them in checkmate).

Again, the #1 rule of sales is NOT TO SELL. By not selling, you can quickly dis-arm your opponent or coerce them to make an offensive move in your favor. This is how the most masterful salespeople acquire their riches (and how they make it look so easy).

Now that I’ve shared WHAT to do, the rest of this book will show you exactly HOW to do it.

For more help selling books visit:
www.HustleUniversity.Org