7 Ways to Sell and Retain Your Integrity

Making more sales while retaining your integrity -- is it possible

to do both?

Here are seven suggestions:

1. Focus on the getting to the "truth" of your potential client's

situation. You may or may not be a fit for each other, so focusing on

the end goal of making the sale only derails the trust-building

process. Without trust, you compromise integrity.

2. Eliminate rejection once and for all by setting realistic

expectations and avoiding traditional sales behaviors such as

defensiveness, persuasion, and over-confidence. If you're not trying

to sell, you can't be rejected.

3. Stop "chasing" potential clients who have no intention of

buying. How can you do this? Shift your mindset and boost your

truth-seeking skills so that you can quickly, yet graciously, discern

whether the two of you are a potential "fit" or not.

4. Avoid calling people "prospects" or even thinking about them

that way. People are people, and when you label them in your language

or your thoughts, you dehumanize them and the sales process.

"Prospect" reinforces the notion that sales is only a "numbers game."

Train yourself to think about "potential clients" instead.

5. Take the "cold" out of your cold calling. Don't start with "Hi,

my name is... I'm with... We do...". When you begin a conversation by

making it about you, instead of about the other person, you

immediately cut off the possibility of opening a dialogue. Try the

more humble approach of asking "Maybe you can help me out for a

second," and keep in mind that you're really calling to help them

solve their problems.

6. Don't try to "overcome" objections. Instead, determine whether

the objection is the client's truth or not. Then you can decide

whether to continue to open the conversationPerniagaan .

7. Avoid using "I" or "We" in your e-mail communications to

potential clients. These words indicate that the focus of your

communication is on satisfying your needs rather than solving their

problems. This sets the wrong tone for a potential relationship.