LOVE, Kloudiia

My sister, a friend and I just came out from quite an invigorating and relaxing massage the other day. My sister and I opted for the promotion package of a foot reflexology session plus a back massage while my friend went for the aromatherapy massage.

When we gathered at the counter to pay, the radiance and smiles on our faces showed that all three of us were pretty satisfied and happy with our experience. That was our first time visit to that spa.

I thought the lady was about to sell us their packages. But, she didn’t. So we left that place not with a few hundred bucks lesser, but with around $60 each for my sister and I.

During dinner, my sister commented on how the lady had lost an opportunity to make a bigger sale that day. “If I were her, all of you wouldn’t leave the place without signing a package,” she quipped.

“Really?” both of us looked at her.

“Ya,” she said.

“But maybe she doesn’t want to look like she’s hard selling, you know,” I explained. Well you see, I always like to play the “Devil’s advocate” role. In this case, I’m on the side of the lady at the spa.

“No, that’s not hard selling. She can tell that we’re happy with the service and the massage is good. So that means we’ll like to come back again. Then why not get a package so that it’ll be more worth it and cheaper per visit?” my sister shared with us her idea.

Ahhh! I got it. To my sister, that isn’t hard selling, in fact she’s offering value. That’s the difference.

You see, when we believe in our products and/or services, we come from a perspective of genuinely wanting to offer value that meets the client’s needs. It is only when our intention is merely to meet the quota and we discard the client’s satisfaction level and needs that we are considered as hard selling, like what we usually experience in many spas where they’ll keep pushing you to sign a package that costs a four-figure sum when you have given them some negative feedback regarding their service. They don’t let you go without pestering you for another half an hour, and keep telling you that only if you sign on that day will you get the various discounts and freebies dangled in front of you. That, is indeed hard selling.

Many times, people are afraid to sell because they’re worried they’ll come across as being pushy. So they go one big round and tell you what do they have, what benefits you can get but when it comes to the crucial moment of asking for the purchase, they stopped. Of course, this doesn’t apply to those sales people who’ll do anything to close a deal.

If you happen to fall into such a category, why not reframe your fear into something positive? Like the fact that you are offering value to someone who will benefit from it rather than making just a sale?

I think, when we start to think for our clients, they will be able to sense it, and they will return the favour.

That, to me, is selling without the need to sell. Isn’t that an art, really?