Ask HN: How to learn how to sell?
Selling is just convincing the other person that you have the (best) solution to their problems and that it's cheaper than dealing with the problem.Good selling is invisible, because the customer convinces themselves. You don't remember why you picked your car model or why you thought an expensive sugar drink would cure your thirst better. Don't copy "salesmen".Problem mastery: I once interviewed for a job selling oscilloscopes. The guy who interviewed before me was charismatic; I doubted I'd get the job. But I was the best pick because of technical ability. The boss said that sales was easy to learn, but the customers didn't care about your sales skill, they just wanted to know that you understood the oscilloscopes and weren't bullshitting them.Dance: Nature has mating dances. There's a kind of sales dance too. It's a suit. It's a cup of coffee and a sandwich. It's "Are you free for a zoom call Monday or Wednesday? We give free t-shirts." It's the Product Hunt newsletter. The other person has to know they are being sold to and consent to it. The sandwich helps them think they didn't just waste an hour.Storytelling: It's a natural way to communicate. Testimonials are the most effective. A video works too. A list of features works for some people (see dance) but it helps if they can visualize the solution. An effective trick is to inspect element their site and plant in your solution, then email them the screenshots.Keep it short: A pitch is like a joke. The longer it is, the less impact it has. Cut out as many syllables as you can.Follow up: Very often the timing is wrong or they have to compare options. Sometimes they won't reply at all. If there's one sales "trick" that works, it's following up.