Perhaps one of your responsibilities in business is to sell. I have a small but powerful mind shift that will transform your sales results.
The fact is that needy salespeople are creepy. We live in a sales saturated society. If feels like we are surrounded by the walking dead – salespeople that want to take from us, especially our money. Even if stand strong against the pitch and hold on to our precious dollars, they still have taken some of our attention, time and energy.
If you are a salesperson, based on this paradigm, you probably dislike (in fact, inwardly despise) the
burden of going out into the marketplace like a walking dead person to beg, borrow, and steal people’s money. I realize that most of you don’t feel that lowdown and creepy, but I challenge you to slow down and consider if there is any vestige of this thinking lurking in your subconscious that manifests as procrastination, fear and a reluctance to sell. If so, I have great news for you.
First, forget about yourself for the moment. Answer this most important question of integrity. Do you have a product/service that is of great worth and value to certain people? If you cannot say with 100% certainty yes, then you need to quit your job today. There is no way that you can feel good about yourself and sleep well at night if you are trying to sell something that is of low or no value. You must be convinced that you have a value to offer to people.
Second, do you know who specifically would benefit the most from it? Who are the prospective customers that could feel better, do better, be more secure, happy, better off, and have a problem solved and a need met by what you are selling? Can you clearly identify and describe these people, and even create an actual list of them (companies or individuals)? Make that list of those individuals that would be served, and greatly relieved and helped and delighted by your product and service.
Third, now you are ready for the transformation. You must consciously and intentionally reprogram your thinking as follows:
I have something of great value to offer. I have the gold bars. The people that I am going to interact with today need what I have much more that I need them and their money. I am not needy, they are. My mission is to identify who I can help, and then go and listen. I must understand how they feel and what they think about their need and what they really want. What is their problem, and how are they hoping that I can help them solve it? This will happen as I ask them great questions and really listen, from the heart, and care about them and their need. Once we agree on their need, then I am going to offer my product/service as a solution to their need and give them the opportunity to solve their problem by working with me. I am offering to help them, not asking for anything. I am here to give, not take. I am not selling, I’m serving.
Offer, give, and serve. No walking dead or creepiness. Just beautiful purpose, giving, and service.
