Up until recently, I’d have rather boiled my head than go shopping for jeans.

Too big. Too small. Too tight. Too baggy. Too long. Too short. Argh!

Finding a pair that fitted was impossible.

But that all changed when I met Stacey.

Stacey works in a posh department store and knows every brand of jean out there – from your skinnies to your boyfriends – and can tell almost immediately exactly which style is right for you.

She found me the perfect pair of jeans in seven minutes flat. Just the third pair she suggested slid on like a dream.

Yes, they were eye-wateringly expensive.

Yes, they were probably the most expensive pair in the shop.

Yes, she was probably on commission.

But did I care? Hell no.

Stacey had saved me hours of getting hot and bothered in changing rooms.

She’d made me look good (even *whisper it* great).

She’d saved me from wasting money on an inferior pair that I’d regret buying the minute I got home.

Now that, to me, is great selling.

Not blowing smoke up my @ss and telling me that the first two pairs looked great (they really didn’t).

Not waving me in the direction of a mountain of jeans that all looked the same to me.

Not pushing me into buying the first pair I tried on.

She’d sold to me purely by being knowledgeable about her niche and being incredibly helpful. So, when she suggested we head to the till, I couldn’t throw my credit card at her fast enough.

Sold.

So why am I telling you about Stacey?

Well, we’re often worried about appearing ‘pushy’ if we sell to our clients (I’ve had two clients just this week share these fears to me).

And it’s a valid concern. It’s something that many business owners struggle with.

No-one likes to have a sales spiel rammed down their throat by a cold caller or sit through a sales tsunami of in-your-face sales tactics.

But to me, aggressive selling is just bad selling.

Good selling is just about showing people how you can help them.

It’s the opposite of pushy. Instead of dragging prospects towards your business kicking and screaming, you make your world so attractive that they can’t help but step into it.

Good sales is about painting a picture of your clients’ improved future with you. Showing them what pain they’ll avoid and which problems you’ll solve for them.

Good sales is about delivering insights and a fresh point of view. About offering so much value upfront that they can’t help buying from you*, even if yours is a high-value product or service.

There’s nothing pushy about it.

If you’re being relentlessly helpful, it’s ok to then ask your prospects for their business (and you should). At that point they’ll be expecting it and will want you to.

So find your most comfortable style of selling that’s the perfect fit for you and your clients – it should reap some jean-ius results.

*I had a call a couple of weeks ago from a prospect who’d been reading my emails for two years. She told me ‘Kim – I’m already sold.’ She’s now my client.