3 ms·

Ask HN: How Do You Sell?

2 points by julienreszka 7y ago

mindcrime 7y ago
Do ya think maybe you could find a way to put a little less information in this post? I mean, it's pretty bloated at a whopping FOUR words. How is anybody supposed to parse all that information in order to extract the meaningful bits that would be used to construct any kind of useful answer to the question?
ddingus 7y ago
Sell what? Sell to who? Given the lack of context, only the most general information makes sense, so here you go. I do not sell products that suck. I believe in what I sell, and the sales process is one where the prospective buyer and I both validate the benefit of the product makes sense. I do not sell by talking my competition down. They are hard at work trying to succeed, making what they believe are good products, and they get to do that. Selling down, "buy from me because those other peeps and their product suck", means the basis for the business relationship is fundementally toxic and not honest. Karma is a bitch. Just be warned, go down that road eyes wide open. I ask them for the business once the work has been done to prove out that ask makes good sense. I ask them, because selling is hard and those people who do the work, in the fashion I put here, have earned the business and there will be mutual benefit. I qualify my prospects early and as accurately as I can. There is not unlimited time. At any given time, the sales work you do should be aligned with these things: Finding and approaching new prospects. Qualifying prospects: Some enter the sales process Some are not really prospects Some need more time Some need more information. The others are advancing to close. Recognizing when your efforts move toward a close and when more time must pass is vital. I sell at list, unless there is a clear reason to do otherwise. Get consideration, give consideration. Have great answer to, "why are we selling at discount?" Prospects may put unreasonable terms or presales requirements into a deal. When cost of sale exceeds margin and value of customer, and the deal does not present as some strategic investment, I will walk. Making a high maintenance sale is more like an expensive loan. Avoid these. All of that should all be well understood, but in my experience so far, one or more are missing. The biggest ones, and the most expensive when not well understood, are: Failure to ask for the business. Asking is OK to do, and asking for money sucks. It sucks less when one does the other work well, but let us be honest. It sucks. That is why commission is paid. Failure to qualify. Cost of sales goes way up, close rates go down. Failure to assign finding new prospects a sufficient priority to maintain and grow the pipeline means fast or famine type sales numbers, generally. There you go. Technical B2B sales 101.
gaspoweredcat 7y ago
I stand on the street corner in a PVC skirt and fishnet stockings and ask anyone if they want "business" seriously this question is too lacking in information to get any sort of proper answer

2 points by julienreszka 7y ago

Do ya think maybe you could find a way to put a little less information in this post? I mean, it's pretty bloated at a whopping FOUR words. How is anybody supposed to parse all that information in order to extract the meaningful bits that would be used to construct any kind of useful answer to the question?

ddingus 7y ago

Sell what? Sell to who? Given the lack of context, only the most general information makes sense, so here you go. I do not sell products that suck. I believe in what I sell, and the sales process is one where the prospective buyer and I both validate the benefit of the product makes sense. I do not sell by talking my competition down. They are hard at work trying to succeed, making what they believe are good products, and they get to do that. Selling down, "buy from me because those other peeps and their product suck", means the basis for the business relationship is fundementally toxic and not honest. Karma is a bitch. Just be warned, go down that road eyes wide open. I ask them for the business once the work has been done to prove out that ask makes good sense. I ask them, because selling is hard and those people who do the work, in the fashion I put here, have earned the business and there will be mutual benefit. I qualify my prospects early and as accurately as I can. There is not unlimited time. At any given time, the sales work you do should be aligned with these things: Finding and approaching new prospects. Qualifying prospects: Some enter the sales process Some are not really prospects Some need more time Some need more information. The others are advancing to close. Recognizing when your efforts move toward a close and when more time must pass is vital. I sell at list, unless there is a clear reason to do otherwise. Get consideration, give consideration. Have great answer to, "why are we selling at discount?" Prospects may put unreasonable terms or presales requirements into a deal. When cost of sale exceeds margin and value of customer, and the deal does not present as some strategic investment, I will walk. Making a high maintenance sale is more like an expensive loan. Avoid these. All of that should all be well understood, but in my experience so far, one or more are missing. The biggest ones, and the most expensive when not well understood, are: Failure to ask for the business. Asking is OK to do, and asking for money sucks. It sucks less when one does the other work well, but let us be honest. It sucks. That is why commission is paid. Failure to qualify. Cost of sales goes way up, close rates go down. Failure to assign finding new prospects a sufficient priority to maintain and grow the pipeline means fast or famine type sales numbers, generally. There you go. Technical B2B sales 101.

gaspoweredcat 7y ago

I stand on the street corner in a PVC skirt and fishnet stockings and ask anyone if they want "business" seriously this question is too lacking in information to get any sort of proper answer