How to Avoid Hype When Selling

All too often, sales managers and salespeople pass off hype as enthusiasm, whether consciously or not. Visit any car dealership and just stand still to get a taste of this practice. Hype appeals to the imagination, both on the part of the salesperson and customer.

The problem with hype and imagination during the sales of product is that both always exceed whatever features/benefits said product might convey in reality. Nine times out of ten, this is a recipe for an unhappy customer.

In sales, walking the fine line between enthusiasm and factual details is challenging but not impossible. The key to speaking frankly about the benefits of any product is product knowledge. Knowing your product will prepare you to match products appropriately to a customer’s needs and anticipate any questions they may have.

Selling to introverts is often easiest when focus is placed upon facts, not superfluous characteristics. Probing with simple open-ended questions is a proven tactic that allows both parties to determine the rightness of this or that product. It also breaks the ice and allows for a conversation between minds to take place, something that puts both customers and introverted salespeople at ease.

A great way to avoid hype is to know and remember each product’s pros and cons. Because there is no product without a few shortcomings, awareness of these and ways to overcome them is important to keeping one’s sales pitch strong and realistic. Mentioning a product’s cons may not even be necessary, but knowing they exist and having a truthful answer ready when such questions about cons arise keeps the sales conversation grounded and not pie-in-the-sky.

Because introverts are generally more self reflective and observant of customers’ body language, imagining how it feels to have a salesperson over-hype a product to you can help keep you from doing the same. Selling to introverts is often a question of conducting a slightly lower key exchange, so shying away from hype is frequently a given of this personality type.

In a real circumstance, when customers ask frank questions, answer them honestly. Supply the facts about features. Mention awards and citations products have won, providing they have been granted by recognized authorities in a certain industry. With deep knowledge about product, hype is easy to avoid during sales.

Quiet confidence on the part of salespeople goes over just as well as, if not better than, loud talk and bragging.