It’s an age old problem. Everyone remembers those old timey movies with the travelling salesman and the so called “snake oil” salesmen. How do you sell without selling? How do you come across as credible without being pushy? These days, and in this economy, it’s all about being gently persuasive rather than pushy and acting as if your product or service is the only thing that is going to save someone’s business from going under. And then of course there are those people that call and disrupt dinner time with their insistence that the call will only take a few moments of your time, and your life will be infinitely better once you have bought their product.

To have a successful, high paying sales job you will need to cultivate relationships with your clients that will last years, rather than relying upon a revolving turnstile of new clients. Your long term clients are the key to your success and failure in a sales position, and keeping them happy while still securing new clients is very important to the long term health of both your bottom line as well as your employers. Certainly you need new clients, but remember that if your current clients are happy with the product or service, as well as your customer service, they will recommend you to others, and a personal recommendation is extremely valuable to a sales person.

What are the keys to persuasive and not pushy sales?

Be clear and open about your product or service. Of course you need to “sell” the product or service and highly endorse it, but if you know that there might be a potential area of uncertainty, be sure to lightly mention that to your client. By being honest with them from the get go, you will already plant the seeds of trust that will carry your relationship to the next level, and hopefully a high dollar sale.

Believe in what you are selling! If you believe in the product or service, that confidence will radiate through to your clients, and they will be confident as well. Project an image of confidence and calm. Even if your job were hinging on making that particular sale, don’t ever let them see you sweat as they say.

Tailor your pitch to the client. Devise a likely situation that they might encounter, and explain how your product or service can help them resolve the situation to their advantage.

Don’t act as if your product or service is the only option out there. Remember that everything has competition, and your competitor might have been in front of the same person moments before making a very similar pitch. Distinguish yourself.

Agree on a time to follow up if they are not ready to commit. And if they do not commit at the follow up, make a note to give them a call a couple of months down the line to check in and see how things are going. That way if there is a problem, they will know that you have not forgotten about them, and you will stay top of mind.