Within the world of sales there are three scenarios that all require a very different approach
1 The employed sales staff. These sales people receive a salary whatever they sell. However they will often get a bonus with on target sales which can increase their income substantially .
2 The commission only seller. They will be employed within an organisation but will not make any money if they don’t sell anything. I would include affiliate marketers in this section.
3 Finally there is the self employed seller who sells their own products directly to the customer.
In the first two examples a living is generated from simply following a system that is designed by a third party. Sales training will promote the company system and the seller uses the system to sell or not, as the case may be. However they have little control over the sales process which is prescribed and automated.
In the third case, regarded as the most difficult form of selling. The seller has complete control as to how to sell. This is where the missing ingredient becomes apparent. The self employed business must learn to BUY as well as to sell. Many businesses make all their profit maximising the gap between the purchase price and the selling price. Your role when selling from this standpoint is to spend half your time searching for the cheapest buying option.
One of the best selling propositions is on price. This way you can offer more discounts to attract customers whilst keeping your profit margin. When you become a good buyer you will find you need less customers to earn your living. I think that the most lucrative products are financial and digital as they often require less initial outlay.
If you are setting up a business that is based on selling product, think about buying as much as you think about selling. This way you will also become an expert at selling.
Peter.