Be your best salesperson

Remember, you are your brand. So embody it wherever you go, and be its biggest fan. Carry your product around. Give it away when possible. People want instant gratification, and they love the ability to touch and feel the product. It helps make that emotional connection that leads to the sale.

Estée Lauder, who started her business in 1946, was frustrated when large advertising agencies wouldn’t take on her relatively small company (at the time). So she started her own campaign, which consisted of free samples and gifts with purchase. It was a huge success. She knew if a woman liked it, she would tell a friend. “If you put the product into the customer's hands, it will speak for itself if it's something of quality,” said Lauder. She strongly believed that in order to make the sale, you had to touch the customer. She personally went to every counter opening and trained the staff. “I’d make up every woman who stopped to look,” she said. “I would show her that a three-minute make up could change her life.” Lauder never stopped selling or showing her passion for her brand. “I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.” Today, the company sells in more than 100 countries and controls 46% of the cosmetics market in U.S. department stores.

Follow Lauder’s lead. Especially in today’s tough economy, you must believe in your product and show your passion for it. Carry it around if you can, and don’t be afraid to give it away once in awhile.

What are your tips for being a good salesperson?