180 - Can you sell ice to an Eskimo?

Have you ever met those sales guys who can sell anything?

They forget that it is not about being able to sell but about selling the right thing to the right person.

Just because you can sell ice to an Eskimo doesn't mean you are a good salesman or that you should.

Quite the opposite.

Bad salespeople have given sales a bad reputation.

Not everyone wants or needs your services/products and that's where good ethical practices are important.

The real art of sales is in understanding that not everyone is your target market.

In networking, we shouldn't be selling to anyone, but building relationships that can lead to referrals.

When I ask people on LinkedIn, who is a good referral for you, I often get the same answer, "anyone" or "everyone".

That is a good sign that the person doesn't know their target market and will try to sell to anyone.

I've been guilty of this from time to time, we all have been because of our passion for what we do.

Knowing your target audience and working with integrity go hand in hand.

How do you feel about the "ice" salespeople who you meet?

#marketing #entrepreneurship #bestadvice #smallbusiness #socialnetworking