"Listen more than you talk"- When Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec shared essential tips for "selling anything to anyone"

Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec once shared that most people don’t truly understand the importance of selling. In a LinkedIn post from January 25, 2017, he noted that whenever he brings up sales, many respond with excuses—believing it’s not for them. However, he argued that these excuses are far from reality.

The Shark Tank star noted that, in some way, everyone is a salesperson whether they realize it or not. For instance, he shared that an individual trying to convince their parents to take the car for the weekend was also a form of selling.

So, to help people get better at selling, Robert shared five tips that he wanted individuals to keep in mind whenever they were trying to make any kind of sale.

One of the tips he mentioned was to focus on listening to the person they are selling to more than talking. He pointed out that a bad salesperson always goes on talking about their product without hearing out their client's needs.

"Listen more than you talk," one of his five tips read.

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Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec's five tips to get better at selling

1) The first thing you’re selling is yourself

In his first tip, Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec shared that no one would buy something from a person they didn't like. So, he suggested individuals also focus on how they interact and behave with the person they are selling to.

He further emphasized his point, noting that every salesperson should be like the one they themselves would buy from.

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2) Listen more than you talk

Robert noted that bad salespeople can't get over how amazing their product is and they keep on talking about it. However, in comparison, he noted that a good salesperson always listens to what their clients are saying. They make sure to pay attention to their client's needs right from when they start pitching something.

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3) Know who to sell to

In his third tip, the Shark Tank star shared that one of the most common mistakes that salespeople make is trying to sell everything to everyone. He urged them to recognize their true client base and make sure that whatever they are selling fulfills their potential client’s needs and is realistic for them.

"If you’re selling a widget that costs $50K, don’t try to sell it to the guy whose widget budget is $2k," he wrote.

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4) Understand what motivates the other side

Robert shared that all salespeople should take time to fully understand what motivates their clients to become interested in their products. He suggested finding out and pinpointing reasons why their clients should care about their products, and how their products or services could add value to their lives.

"Pay attention to what’s driving your potential client to take your meeting in the first place and address that in your pitch," he added.

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5) Keep it simple

Finally, in his fifth point, the Shark Tank star advised people against overcomplicating their pitch just so they could sound more knowledgeable about their product. He explained that the mark of true knowledge in anything was how well an individual could explain something to the average person.

Robert suggested keeping the sales pitch simple and under 30 seconds and practicing it till they get better.

"The key to selling successfully is to think about the person you’re selling to. Make your approach about their needs and think about how they’ll feel after the pitch/meeting. There is no such thing as a ‘natural-born salesperson’. Take it from me - anyone can learn to be good at sales, including you," he concluded.

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New episodes of Shark Tank season 16 air every Friday on ABC.