I was in a situation recently where I was seeking a web traffic analytics tool. In this particular instance, an over the counter product just wasn’t suitable for my client. In a meeting, I was asked various questions about what I needed it for and why. Later when it came time to present their offering to me, the gentleman had taken it well past the basic prescription I had asked for. I could see he was ardent about his craft and very intelligent. Nonetheless, to me it felt like he hadn’t listened to a word I had said. True – his solution was packed with loads of features that were no doubt remarkable and even groundbreaking, but many of them I hadn’t asked for and would not need.

Overselling can be a number of things.

1. Over promising – ie selling beyond what your goods and services are capable of delivering. A smart buyer will recognise this and you won’t get the sale. Others less astute may buy but will be disappointed and will either not come back to you or it will cause disputes. A good way to prevent this type of overselling is to understand the limits of your products and services and remember the adage “PROMISE GOOD AND DELIVER BETTER”.

 2. Not recognising when you have the sale – You must listen to and watch the customer’s body language and not keep giving them information when they have already decided to buy. If you recognise when to stop selling and take an order you can always offer more information and the time of delivery, this will help show the customer that you are truly interested in them beyond that first order. This is very common.

 3. Motor mouth – Again quite common. That is when a sales person just feels they have to tell you everything they can about everything they can. No cure for this but to get them out of sales and as far away from your potential or existing customers as you can. 

In essence sales is about what you as a sales person don’t know about your customer’s wants or needs and therefore your ability to question them carefully until you fully understand what they really need to satisfy their requirements. This is a very important skill and in my opinion requires a certain degree of selflessness (that is another post). The customer is very grateful at this stage and if you can offer goods or services that meet that need do so. If you can’t see if you can point them in the right direction, Selling goods or services to a customer that don’t fit that need/desire requirement is the worst form of OVERSELLING. Indeed it is very selfish.

In short, overselling is selling beyond a customer present or reasonable future need/want requirement, selling above what your product or service is capable of delivering or simply over stating everything and most of all the inability to listen. Selling is simple – give em’ what they want.

How much better to multiply your business, rather than just grow it. Multipliers see the well-being of others as a source of satisfaction – so they are happy when others excel. Certainly in the economy of the world, very successful people follow these same principles in business.  Establishing strong relationships in business is just as essential as relationships are for a family to flourish.  Some may know this term as Altruism.
Guy Kawasaki calls these types of people a Menske. 

So there is a commercial value placed on helping others-great. For those with a self-interest only sales orientation often burn out fast or get very little job satisfaction. The blossoming field of “social media” being an example of the economy moving beyond the outdated models of “The Corporation” that have long dictated the terms on which consumers interact with brands.
Perhaps this Global Financial Crisis will see businesses and sales teams re-examination these  models.

These are a few traits of a Multiplier:
1. Has no hidden motives behind an action – It is easy to go I know in my country (Australian) people can smell self-interest 10 kilometres away.
2. Gives more then they receive – They go that extra inch. Their clients are always VIP’s.

3. Doesn’t keep count – Do it as if nobody will ever return the favour.

4. Builds up and does not tear down – It is really easy to find fault in something. But please believe me when I say moaning and criticism get really boring fast.

5. Doesn’t let anyone say it can’t be done – advice is easy hard to come by when you start sharing your ideas out aloud. Wisdom on the other hand is hard to find.

6. Never measures success in dollar terms – Don’t get me wrong, I know you need money, but if that is the only thing you based your decisions on, you will soon find you never have enough. True growth is based on so much more.

7. Passionate – It is as if what they are on about is dripping from their pores. You should meet our Children’s Pastor at our church. My kids are begging to go to both services before I am even out of Pyjamas.

8. They get next to people and walk alongside them – Take the time to coach and educate people so they can grow their own wings to fly. There is only one of you. But you develop the skills in those around you and suddenly you have an army. They Multiply