The public’s impression of sales professionals is enlightening, and disheartening. During my time as a professional salesperson, I’ve heard some interesting opinions from a variety of people.

One I’ll never forget happened during a visit to Cornell University where I was conducting job interviews for sales positions. I remember the candidate who told me, “To be good in sales you have to be good at bull-s----ting your customers.” I was surprised to hear such a dumb statement from a job seeker, never mind an Ivy Leaguer.
a close second to ”Professional Athlete.”

R-rated movies like Tin Men, Glengarry Glen Ross and Boiler Room do a good job of depicting salespeople as conniving con artists to their adult audiences. But one doesn’t have to be 17 or older to be infiltrated with negative sales stereotypes. In The Wizard of Oz, the man who turns out to be the wizard in Dorothy’s dream is actually a swindling snake-oil salesman from an earlier scene. Even the nice folks from Sesame Street have a children’s book entitled Ernie and the Vacuum Salesman, in which Ernie gets angry with a pushy door-to-door salesman and kicks him out of his house. To my knowledge, Sesame Street has no books on crooked cops or bottom-feeding personal injury lawyers.

Fact AND Fiction
The negative picture of salespeople is not painted solely from fiction and hearsay. For most people, those damaging perceptions are based on actual experiences. As consumers, we’ve all had bad encounters with shady salespeople. While we might not be quick to admit it, we’ve all been overcharged, misled and swindled. We’ve been victimized, bamboozled and cheated.
For example, I bought an out-of-print book recently on eBay that was described as being in “mint condition.” What arrived was an old library book from Joliet, IL that had been checked out 31 times over twelve years. I bought the book for hard-to-find information, not to be the centerpiece of my coffee table, but I still felt deceived and mistreated by the person who sold it to me.  

Overcome Stereotypes and Sell More
There is nothing we can do to change the bad experiences people have had with salespeople in the past. Nothing.

But, what we can do as salespeople is develop a winning sales mystique, break through some of those negative stereotypes and win more sales. Here are seven ways to overcome negative sales stigmas and sell more.

1. Be real, don’t be salesy
Years ago on Family Feud, Richard Dawson asked the contestants to name an occupation in which you can make good money without an education. While “Salesperson” wasn’t the number one answer, it was
Computer Associates ran a commercial campaign in 2003 that depicted other software companies’ salespeople as golden-throated pitchmen who hawk software products by first asking, “So, how much software do you want to buy?” Prospects and customers don’t want to be perceived as your next sales conquest. Relax and act like a real human being, not like someone who is in Step 3A of the selling process.

2. Be modest
Nothing turns off prospects more than prima donna salespeople who act like condescending know-it-alls. Don’t try to impress your prospects with boastful behavior. Don’t talk about how busy you are. Everybody is busy and nobody cares about how much you have to do. Focus on how important the customer is, not on how important you are.

3. Be flexible
Being able to adapt to the personality of your prospect is one of the most important ingredients in developing a winning sales mystique. People buy from people. People gravitate towards people like themselves. That said, never try to be someone you’re not. Simply adapt your behavior; don’t adopt a new personality. If you’re selling to a financial buyer or a technical buyer, don’t try to woo them with flamboyant appeals to their emotions. Get into your Joe Friday mode and give them ‘just the facts’ – along with compelling measurable benefits, too!

4. Know your stuff
In this information age, customers are four or five mouse clicks away from educating themselves on your competitors’ offerings. Know what you sell. Know how to apply it in the real world. Know answers to tough questions. Know how you compare to your major competitors. Help your prospects understand how they will benefit greatly from your offering. At the same time, don’t overwhelm them with every piece of information you have. Use only the points that you need to win the sale.

5. Be accessible
This is so simple, but so few salespeople do it. If you can’t answer your phone all the time, at least return voice mails promptly. If you’re unable to do so during regular business hours, leave a message after hours promising another return call the next day. This way, customers know that they are on your to-do list and not lost in a black hole of ignored voice mail messages.

6. Use third parties to build trust
If you tell prospects that your company is great, they think, “So what?” If you show them positive comments from past customers, flattering write-ups in the press or favorable marks from the Better Business Bureau (or other trusted independent associations in your industry), it’s a convincing fact.

7. Be a customer advocate
Break through the stereotype of salespeople who are out to maximize their sales totals and income. Help customers get the best solution to their problems at the best value. Don’t be afraid to “down sell” if it’s in the customer’s best interest. If a customer is on the road to buying the premium plan, but the standard plan will address their needs just fine, tell them. You might find that they have great growth plans and expect to grow into the premium plan. Or you might find that they agree with you and lower the sale amount. Either way, you build credibility and trust that could lead to future business and valuable referrals.

While you may not be able to undo the damage done by other salespeople, you can show your prospects and customers that you are a professional with integrity, honesty and decency. Use the seven tips above – and your common sense – to sell more while improving the image of salespeople everywhere.