When we are looking for side hustles or ways to make extra money, one of the common mistakes beginners make is simply that we just look for ways to make money when, in fact, we must remember that there are many other things that go into the mix. For example, something like sales patter and personality can make a huge difference. For those starting a business or any form of side hustle, you have to think of yourself as a potential entrepreneur. Starting a business involves much more than just selling products or services, so let's show you why it’s all about the human side of the equation. If you want to make some money, you could always benefit from some of the following strategies:
Learning How to Engage Customers
There are so many different ways to do this, but we always need to remember that if we're trying to sell something to someone, they need to agree that what you’re selling will benefit their life. This is why being human is so important, because we are far more savvy these days when people are trying to sell us stuff.
We can easily feel like we're being pushed into a corner and need to buy something to get the salesperson off our backs, which means we could cancel everything further down the line. We always need to remember that interacting with buyers is a very human thing that won't happen overnight. We should remember it’s the process of guidance and education that will ultimately give someone the idea that they should buy from us- sometimes known as sales enablement; a good sales enablement strategy can make a huge difference. When we know our service and products inside out and show how they can help someone, we’re not relying on salesy talk and tactics, but building a natural rapport.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is not just crucial to being a brilliant leader; it is pivotal for interpersonal relationships. Three key areas of emotional intelligence require focus:
- Self-awareness, where you understand your own emotions and how they affect your behaviour.
- Empathy, which is severely lacking in some sectors, particularly in sales. We can all picture the assertive salesperson, but as already mentioned, this approach effectively backs someone into a corner, where they feel they have no choice but to accept something just to get the salesperson to leave. Instead, recognising and understanding the feelings and perspectives of others gives you a far better ability to work around certain issues or stumbling blocks that could impact a final sale.
- Self-regulation, which is basically the ability to manage your emotions. When we are trying to sell something or are in any stressful situation, one key tactic is to reduce that feeling of pressure on yourself. We see it all the time in people trying to make sales, they sense they are close to a huge commission and start to ramp up the intensity, but it’s at this point we should focus even more and learn to manage our emotions. The book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former hostage negotiator, is an excellent resource here. When closing deals, one of the big mistakes people make is relaxing towards the end, but keeping that attention a little bit longer can reap dividends.
Your Communication Skills
Communication skills are something we hear about so often. However, they are almost severely lacking in the modern day, as we’re seeing younger people in their 20s and 30s who have grown up in front of a computer and may not know how to engage with people on a visceral, human level. Three key things to pay attention to are:
- Active listening, where you pay full attention to others and provide thoughtful responses.
- Clear articulation, where you express your ideas concisely and coherently. Check out the Think Faster, Talk Smarter book by Matt Abrahams for an abundance of communication tools, especially tips for reducing filler words in conversations.
- Non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language, which make a huge difference in spotting the signs that people may not necessarily be telling the truth. This last point is particularly important because focusing on honesty and transparency will help you build relationships with people, allowing you to completely step away from that salesy approach.
Starting a business is more than just selling things; it's about the real human component. If we pay attention to this, we experience something far more rewarding than just learning how to sell, no matter the type of business you want to run.
