By: Ben Botes, Copyright 2003 - 2004 www.My1stBusiness.com

Speak to almost any self employed professional and most of them will say that they love their job but don't care much for selling their services. Here's some advice to help all those reluctant professionals who need to sell to clients.

We have identified 9 basic selling skills that will help you to sell your product or service. Ensure that you and your sales team master these skills and you will be successful at selling.

Research shows that fear of selling is one of greatest barriers to business success and, often, professionals are worst of all. But whether you are an accountant, advertising excec or business coach you still have to sell to keep business coming in.

We have found a few ideas that will help you to become successful at selling yourself. The main idea is to know your product, know your client and be prepared and professional. The following tips will greatly enhance your ability to sell.

Acknowledge value of selling

Be positive in attitude, love selling. It is widely accepted that excitement and enthusiasm of salesperson accounts for around 50 per cent of success in selling. In a world in which everything counts, excitement and enthusiasm of salesperson affects customer's responds.

Manage your sales activities effectively

As a salesperson, you are responsible for results. You can achieve required result by setting it as a goal, and then resolving to pay price that must be paid to achieve goal. You need to establish clear sales goals. The subconscious mind responds to clarity. Having established sales goals, it is necessary to determine actions or activities which must be undertaken to achieve those goals.

Know your product

Know your product, its benefit and competitive advantage

Why does your customer buy product or service? What benefit do you sell? It might look like a haircut, but it's probably admiration. It looks like a motorcar, but it's probably status. It might be called a bungee jump, but it's probably excitement. If you're selling to other companies, benefit is probably increased sales, lower costs or higher profits.

Identify your customers

Why should anybody buy your product or service? What is benefit or improvement in their condition? Whose life will be enriched? Who will get greatest improvement from your product or service? With which customers does your competitive advantage make a difference? With which customers does your competitive advantage make biggest difference? Customers want to be more, have more, do more.

1. Pre-Qualify Before You Buy Pre-qualification allows you to get an idea of your borrowing potential before beginning your home search. Pre-qualification is usually free and buyer's ability to purchase a home can be confirmed quickly. This step increases buyer's leverage position with Realtors and sellers.

2. Demonstrate You Can Pull Your Weight A mortgage lender wants to know that your income can comfortably cover monthly mortgage payments and your assets are sufficient to cover downpayment and closing costs. Acceptable sources of household income include earnings from your regular job and any secondary jobs, as well as overtime, commissions and bonuses. Also acceptable are interest and dividend income; social security, VA and retirement benefits; disability, welfare and unemployment benefits, alimony, child support and other entitilements. A steady work history - continuous employment at some company or line of business with consistent or rising income - helps lender determine your ability to maintain responsibility of a mortgage.

3. Make It Understood, Your Credit Is Good Looking at your credit history is another way mortgage lenders determine your obligation to pay back a loan. Good credit history consists of a two-year history of prompt payments, a good record of on-time payments and no outstanding judgments or liens. Your mortgage consultant can help you address and correct any past credit problems in such a way that your chance of credit approval will be greater. For example, if you have ever encountered some credit problems due to a lengthy illness, proper explanation for problem can go a long way to rectify negative perception created by a temporary set back.

4. The Program Is Key - Not The Rate You See Don't be misled by a lowball rate; be sure to check out details of loan program. Most mortgages have either a fixed rate (payments remain same for life of loan) or an adjustable rate (payments adjust up or down in accordance with national interest rates) and a term (amount of time you have to repay loan) of either 15 or 30 years. Downpayment requirements differ from program to program. There are many first-time buyer programs that require as little as 3% down, as opposed to conventional programs that require up to 20% of new home's sales price. Easier qualifying guidelines and reduced closing cost options are features of many of programs available.