What do people internalize when they interact with you?
Recently I had the opportunity to go on a sales call with one of my customers. He was testing a new product idea that he is preparing to launch and wanted my assistance. It wasn’t even thirty seconds into the meeting and his new prospect said, “I feel like I already know you. I get your newsletter every week, which I really like. Your articles are very good and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to meet with you today. I believe you have ideas that can help me grow my business.” My customer glanced over at me and just smiled.
This meeting wasn’t about persuasion, or getting a new prospect to do what my customer wanted him to do. It was my customer’s consistent effort over many months to mold his ideas in a way that reflected the prospect’s perceived interest, and was now allowing the prospect to do what he already wanted to do.
The bottom line is, your audience aches to believe that you represent them and they you’re in it for, and with them. Your ability to connect in meaningful ways will create a bond long before you ask for the order.
What’s more important to you? Selling yourself and your idea? Or making your idea come to life in a way that motivates your customer?
Following are some thoughts to consider:
- Connect your passion and purpose to your customers’ passion and purpose.
- Relate to your audience your view of the world and your place in it to their unique view of the world and their place in it. This is what forged a bond over many months between my customer and his prospect.
- Your customer longs to see themselves and their unique needs in the reflection of your carefully polished and well presented idea.
- Your customer wants you to bring your personality as well as be vulnerable and human, just like them. They also want to see that you have a cause.
Resources and References
Daniel H. Pink, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others – Riverhead, 2012
Tom Asacker, Opportunity Screams – Paramount Market Publishing, 2011
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