Imagine a typical salesperson.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind?

I’m guessing, not the most positive association, maybe someone greedy?

Only after your money?

Someone looking out for their own benefits and not your own?

Salespeople usually bring on a negative connotation and therefore we tend to stay away from them and the evil they may bring 🙂

But, if you really stop to think about, we are all sales people in our own way and our own world.

We sell all the time in our day to day lives.

First dates, interviews, even when we go shopping and something may be a little over budget, yet somehow we find a way to convince ourselves that it’s worth the money or that we really need it.

Selling is all around us, whether we notice it or not.

On a date or even a job interview, we tend to leave out all of our bad traits and all our little idiosyncrasies.

And if you stop top hink about it, everyoone has bad or weird qualities to them, but when meeting someone for the first time we always want to leave a great lasting first impression!

And if it only takes 20 seconds to leave a first impression, how to make it a good one?

Well, I was once taught that there are three easy steps to leaving a GREAT first impression:

1. Smile, laugh – basically Humour

2. Find something in common 

3. Complement – don’t be wierdly complementary (that’s creepy) but you can always say “nice to meet you” and actually mean it!

1. Humour – always greet someone with a smile! They tend to have a train reaction and if you smile, they will smile back

2. Finding something in common can be tricky, easily achieved by asking questions and listening to their answers.

Also, remembering their name and using it throughout the conversation, helps with creating a more friendly dynamic

3. Saying something nice, A compliment – if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all!!

But, if you do see something that you like, don’t be shy! Say it, people love to hear nice things, its makes them feel better and thus, again will better the dynamic between you two.

Confidence

Be sure of who you are and how great you are! Obviously don’t be arragant but don’t fear yourself either. People appreciate someone who know’s their stuff!

We all have a tendincy to trust someone who is more confident and seems more reliable rather than somone who is not….

Don’t be fake. Be yourself and believe that what you offer is great.

Always ask yourself how can they benefit from what I have to offer and NOT the other way round.

How my energy and what I convey affects the person in-front of me

 The art of asking questions

Listening and asking the right questions will get you much further rather than just talking.

Learn to become a good listener, people love to talk about themselves and share their stories with others.

Be attentive and really listen to them.

Sometimes, we forget to listen becuase we are so wrapped up with waht answer we’ll give them or even just being distracted while they speak, so NO! LISTEN to them, just like you want them to listen to you 🙂

Body language speaks louder than words

Be aware of how you stand or sit, be aware of the way the person infront of you.

Stand up straight, don’t cross your arms, smile with your eyes as well as your mouth.

Body language is so muuch in a conversation, it can show you if someone is really interested, if they are annoyed, or even if they are just being polite.

Remember, what affect do you want to leave on them? Do you want them to see you as someone cold/ shy?

Or open and confident and happy!!!

In a nuttshell, think of what you wnat to convey and show it

Now that you’ve got some tips,

go look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how bloody great you are

and go and rock their world!!!