I’ll admit it, sales is not my strong point. There is some mothering part of me that wants to take care of people … whether they want me to or not … that makes me pull my punches when I try to sell. This is one of the main reasons that I just didn’t cut it in my Mary Kay nor my Primerica business attempts.

But, after listening to Eric Loftholm at Market Your Way to Wealth in April, I’ve come to realize that this is totally something I can overcome. Here are some of the tips he shared with us that helped me.

There are only three ways to elevate your results, Eric, said: You inner game (what goes on in your head), your outer game (your behaviors) and action (just doing it). Selling is 90% psychology … and much of it is yours (not the prospects).

As he was saying this, I thought of this old Abbot and Costello movie where Lou Costello is a salesman who just can’t seem to sell. A bunch of his fellow sales guys decide to play a joke on him and pretend to hypnotize him and give him super sales ability. Well, low and behold, he becomes an unstoppable sales force. Finally, in a fit of jealousy his colleagues tell him it was all a joke. He is crest fallen, believing that the magic is gone until someone points out that magic or not, he was successful at selling … because he believed he could be.

Eric suggested that when you approach sales as a service and sell from a point of honesty, integrity and compassion, you will be much more successful. Think of it this way. Do you believe that the product or service you offer is of value? Do you believe that it will make someone’s life better in some way? Then why would you presume to withhold it from those who could benefit from it?

Selling is about leading, about moving people to action, Eric said. Use leading language … gently lead your prospects to reach their own conclusion about whether or not to buy. This way, you’ll sell to those who will best be served by your product or service.