Five Invaluable Things I Learned about Sales by Not Being Salesy
I don’t describe myself as a salesperson.
The word pushy sales guy is abhorrent to me. My self-image is centered on my marketing competence.
Yet, I have been selling since I was about 13 and convinced Neal, Jeff, and Mark to form a band called The Mirror’s Image. But that’s a different blog post.
Having never been through formal sales training courses like Challenger or Sandler, or any other methods that newbies cut their teeth on when they begin their career.
My attitude has always been, don’t sell. No one wants a pushy person to convince you to buy or do something you don’t want to do.
Being salesy isn’t a compliment.
Five Things
During my decades in business, I have watched some terrific salespeople not sell and succeed. I have read countless books on not selling and practiced and pitched repeatedly to improve.
I have boiled down my approach to five essential suggestions for you. Whether you are selling a product or service is in your job description, these five wisps of wisdom may apply.
- Learn Everything You Can About The People You Want as Clients/Customers. I want to know every public detail about someone’s background, education, career, and posts online. Do we have a common interest or a shared connection? Can a shared connection tell me anything that gives me insight that could be useful? I want to be so prepared that when we speak, I don’t need them to give me an overview of things I could know if I did my homework. LinkedIn is a great place to start, but I also use Google Search, social media, and other digital tools.
- I Talk as Little as Possible. I Ask Questions. I try to speak no more than 20% of the time so that I follow up and ask clarifying questions when I speak. “When you say you need PR, do you generally mean marketing or public relations?” “What didn’t work for you with your last marketing advisor/agency/consultant?” I ask questions that reveal information that helps me understand if I can be helpful. I am a big fan of ensuring I’m a good fit for a business relationship so asking questions helps me understand.
- I Summarize My Understanding. After the call, I’ll email the potential or current client with a summary of my understanding of the challenge or problem to be solved. I don’t give them a proposal until I understand what they need and have written it. A bid is worthless if I’m not solving the problem they need my help with and if it aligns with my skills. Summarizing my understanding of the situation is part of my secret sauce because many people are too lazy to take this extra step.
- Set Precise Expectations. I never overpromise; I always underpromise and over-deliver. If they hire me to create a new brand name, I’ll give them a quote for five ideas but deliver ten. If I’m working on a project that may take ten weeks, I’ll tell them it will take fourteen weeks. And if I can do it in ten, I’m a hero. But I’m exceptionally thoughtful and pragmatic about how much time stuff takes to get done. My proposal assumes and allows for delays and unexpected disruptions. By setting expectations carefully, I know I can meet the scope of work and deliverables within the timeline. Clients like to work with me on many projects if I exceed their expectations.
- I Break Complex Things into Small, Simpler Chunks or Phases. One thing I am pretty good at doing is making the complex simple. I like to start with a small project. Let’s begin with phase I and see how well we dance together. Something that allows us to collaborate, build confidence, and trust over time. By starting with Phase I, I take a “small bite of the elephant,” I know I can build confidence in myself and my ability to help—date before going steady.
I’m sure professional sales leaders have learned from all the training classes available. And I imagine I could learn a few things, too – even at this point in my career.
But at the center of every meeting, call, or connection is a desire to be trusted and valued. How can I be so helpful that this client will refer me to her friend for future opportunities?
Daniel Pink said it best in one of his books – To Sell is Human. Be curious. To succeed in the 21st century, salespeople must be empathetic, authentic, and solution-oriented.
That’s my mantra.
Show up as a human being, and keep your mouth shut more than you speak.
This approach works and has helped me build a successful marketing consulting practice.
What did I miss?
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
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