After being in sales for more than 20 years, I have sat across from many potential and active clients. Their typical approach to the early conversations are poised with body language that reflects reserve, distrust or words that are muddled with skepticism.
The role of a “salesperson” is to get them to take action on something that they were not necessarily planning to do this morning when they got up. So they are, naturally, guarded and possibly defensive. Through the course of questions and dialogue they unveil nuggets of information that lead to exposure of what might be areas of challenge, needs and/or gaps that can be solved through the salespersons product or offering.
And salespeople enter these meetings with varying postures themselves, ranging from those who are underprepared to the overzealous, ego-laden individuals who come in with their own agenda and only care about the goal of closing the deal. It’s the buyers’ experience with these varying ends of the spectrum, unfortunately, that contribute to the reserve and skepticism that greets us and begins a game of ping-pong, with neither the client nor the salesperson wanting to let down their guard.
Overcoming Resistance
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine walking into this meeting as the salesperson who genuinely wants to learn more about the prospective client or client and its current and desired state. Wanting to go further in order to understand why situations have either succeeded or failed and what it was that caused that to occur. This approach requires a change from within to transform your approach to be a clientfocused, external view versus an internal “me” focused one. You see, in order for you to achieve your goals and dreams you need to first start with helping those you serve — and want to serve — meet theirs.
Look Within
But where to start? The first step in being genuine or authentic with others is to start by looking within. You need to know who you are and what you aspire to be both personally and professionally. Living authentically to what you desire to represent will translate to caring about the goals of others — and them believing in that, therefore in business it’s about interpreting and addressing the true needs of your client.
This approach will earn you respect, help establish credibility and rapport, becoming a business partner that can be a trusted advisor in the process. Living an authentic life may require some decoding and behavioral changes can take time.
Changed Man
Here’s one example of a staffing professional, I’ll call him “Jack,” who changed his approach and reaped the reward. After many years working in a business development role and learning the ropes from vintage sales people, Jack struggled to gain responses from clients after his initial meetings. He felt the discussions had gone well, sharing his company’s capabilities and the advantage of working with him versus one of his competitors. He felt he had followed all of the advice and steps outlined by his mentors but still could not see the results.
Then Jack took a hard look in the mirror and determined it was ultimately his approach. He found that he was often pushing his agenda and not taking the time to listen and hear what the clients and prospects were saying. Jack was so worried about making a good impression, getting his point across and being viewed in a specific way, that he just didn’t come across as his natural, authentic self. Rather, he came across as stiff and intense. By taking a more conversational approach and getting to know his clients and letting them get to know him, he found that they were able to base their foundational business partnership on common goals, likes and desires that proved to be much more beneficial to all. Over the course of the next six months, Jack saw a correlation between his change in approach to his success and satisfaction in his role.
I hope you will take this time to initiate the journey and explore the great value of authenticity in sales. Like Jack, you will see tremendous reward both personally and professionally.
