The best tactic and overall strategy to sell anything

Give the people what they want

Sex sells!

A lot of people are told to sell X, so they go out and try to convince, bribe, or trick people (anyone) into buying it. This is why there is such an aversion to salesmen in our society.

We assume that people don’t want to be sold to. We’re wrong.

People love being sold to if it is something that solves their problems.

Now, people’s problems are very complex. I’m not just saying you have to focus only on basic needs. What I am saying is you have to position your product as a solution to your customer’s problems.

So why not just ask them what their problems are, what they want, and then build it?

Steve has a point, but another thing to remember is that people don’t actually know what they want.

It’s like that old dating paradox that has perplexed ‘nice guys’ forever. Women say they want kind, considerate, friendly guys who say nice things and give them gifts. Then they date some ‘asshole’ because attraction.

Human behavior can be explained, but people are rarely correct about their own wants and motivations.

So, how do you give the customer what they want when they themselves don’t know what they want?

That’s the tough part.

That’s the fun part.

There are tried and true methods that people have always relied on (see the half naked woman above.) Greed, lust, fear… you can do that if you want.

But what you really need to do is get a good understanding of human behavior and motivation. Read this book. Then read it again. It’s considered one of the best in this space, and for good reason.

Learn the principles and understand them. Think about it a lot and try things.

But through all of it, remember, it doesn’t matter what you think. It doesn’t matter what you like. What matters is what your customer wants, and neither you or him will ever know what that is.

(I know, Steve again… I’m not even that into him, but he’s right.)