Doing sales is one of the most fulfilling jobs in the world and yet, it is the most loathed. Sales and marketing are the lifeblood of every business.

Without sales and marketing, a business’s growth is at stake. Without sales, a business will be driven out of the market.

Without sales, the cash flow will be zero or negative. If you want to grow your business, you have to find a way of increasing sales.

I fell in love with sales and marketing when I went into business although my background is in finance. I thought that doing sales was very hard as people put it.

Even people who have never tried doing sales think that it is very challenging because this is the notion that society has had for years. I realized that with the right principles and knowledge, getting people to buy your product is very easy.

With many years of doing sales, both B2C and B2B, I believe that I have something or two to teach you about it. I have had amazing success in almost all my sales pitches.

This is what I want us to understand, even as an expert, you will never sell to everyone. You will get rejection even after 30 years of doing sales.

Experience only brings progress, not perfection. Rejection is part of sales and that will never change. You have to get used to it.

Here are 8 things you should never do in any sales process or career.

1. Never sell what you cannot buy

This is the foundational rule in sales; do not sell what you cannot buy. In extension, do not sell what you have not bought already.

In all my years selling my best-selling academic book (The DNA of High Achievers) to schools, I realized that to fully comprehend the value of the book, I have to buy books written by other people.

Before then, I used to read eBook which cost me very little or nothing to acquire. As I buy books, my confidence in marketing my own increased.

This is why word of mouth marketing is very effective, customers recommend a product that they have already used.

I have met people who sold insurance but did not have any insurance policy for themselves or their families.

They sell what they have not bought. In that case, they often lack confidence in their product. You only value what you have paid for.

Increase your belief and confidence in the product by buying what you sell. This increases the perceived value of the product.

2. Never act like a salesperson

People know salespeople as pushy and selfish. They are ranked second in being selfish after politicians. In normal cases, people tend to avoid people of this nature.

People hate to have a salesperson call them to ask for an appointment. The best strategy is to act as an expert in your field.

Let people know that you have more to offer than just selling them your product or service.

The best way to do this is to write a book or articles in your area. Let the prospect know of this expertise even before you pitch.

I noted that the more I wrote more books and articles, I got more and more respect from my prospects.

They stopped perceiving me as a typical salesperson but as an expert in the education sector. Do not be pushy, be tactical.

3. Never pitch before building a rapport

A rapport is an area of agreement. It is an emotional connection with the prospect. A rapport should invoke their emotional sense rather than their logical rational sense.

Emotional decisions are irrational. After building a rapport, people tend to deal with you like an insider rather than an outsider.

Imagine if your mum was selling you something. It does not matter how expensive it is, you will end up buying it if you have the ability because the buying, in this case, is emotional.

You can even go out of your way to get the cash to make that purchase. This is what a rapport does for you, it takes you close to such a situation.

In building a rapport, you can discuss something that you have in common with the prospect. Even something irrelevant like supporting the same soccer team can go a long way.

Talk about values that the prospect holds close, a political discourse, congratulate them for their position and ask for their advice about the various issue.

Always do it before you pitch. In short, have a discussion that is away from the business.

4. Never pitch when the prospect is not physically and mentally settled.

This is very important. I have made the mistake of talking about my product to a prospect who is not listening. They end up pushing you away calmly or otherwise.

If the prospect is busy, get an appointment. If the prospect is in a hurry to leave, their mind is not settled and thus, they will end up pushing you away without listening to you.

Study your prospect and pitch your product on when you are certain that they are listening not just hearing.

5. Never disagree with your prospect

This is a fundamental rule. You should never disagree with your prospects. The best way to make a sale is to validate the thinking pattern of your prospect.

If the prospect says that the company is short of cash, do not argue with them. Instead, show them that you understand and you care. This is called empathy.

If you can show them that you understand and care, they will also go out of their way to show that they understand you and care about your welfare. They will give you the sale.

This is called reciprocity. People tend to do good for people who have been good to them.

6. Never mention the word buy

This is a mistake that most salespeople make. People associate buying with loss of cash. Buying reduces our cash position.

When you mention the word buy to your prospect, they will become defensive in a bid to avert the perception of loss you have created in their mind.

Instead of buy, you can use the word get. This is what I say to my clients, “When you get 15 copies of the book, we give you a free one hour of motivational speaking with your students/ employees.”

Notice the wording. Instead of buy, I use get. Get is softer and it brings the idea of gaining rather than losing.

With this, the prospect will be open to the idea. Also, I use when instead of If. When you get not if you get.

By using when, you are already creating a soft perception in their mind that the deal is already done.

People hate disappointing people. They will go ahead and give you the sale.

7.   Never defend the price

Even before we talk about defending the price, it is important to mention this; never state the price before your prospect asks you to do so.

When you mention your price upfront, the prospect interprets it as greed. They think that the deal is not genuine and that you are only there to take money away from them.

Talk about everything else about your product apart from the price. When your prospect ends up asking you about the price, the deal is already done.

They have understood the benefits of the product and they are willing to get it. Remember demand is created only when there is the will and the ability to get your product.

When the client finally asks about the price, they already have the will to get your product.

After mentioning your price, never defend it immediately unless the customer objects to the price. There is a rule that says that the person who speaks first when the price is mentioned loses the deal. This is true.

Keep calm and portray a body language of confidence. Let your prospect figure it out. In this case, make sure that your price is not exaggerated because your face will betray you.

8.   Never take rejection personally

This is the rule that sustains all successful salespeople. They know that business is never personal. They can still afford to laugh with their prospect even after a clear rejection.

They know that the prospect has rejected their product not them. People who do not understand this end up being bitter and angry to the point that they feel discouraged to continue in the sales career.

In sales, you have to develop a thick skin. Rejection will come more and more often. On average, salespeople get more rejections than purchases.

Some people will reject you politely but others will tell you right to your face. They will tell you that your product or personality sucks.

They will throw you out of their office or home and tell you never to come back. This is where the thick skin becomes very useful.