A few years back, I met with a prospect about a massive project. The meeting went well.
I remember thinking as the meeting moved along, “I’m CRUSHING it.”
Before I left, they committed to hire me.
I returned to the office, shared the news with my team, and slapped high fives all around.
“Way to go, Tom,” one of my colleagues said. “Another one bites the dust!”
Yep, I crushed it. Another one bites the dust.
I was one of those sales people who “killed it.” I slayed ‘em.
Three months later, the client and I mutually agreed to terminate the contract. It wasn’t a good fit.
I might have seen it coming if I had dug deeper when selling, if I had listened more carefully to what the prospect really needed. If I had focused on their needs, instead of my hunger to sell.
Why do we describe sales as a conquest?
Why do we use language that portrays the prospect as prey?
Why do we describe sales as an act of violence and salespeople as killers?
Words matter. They frame our perspective and approach.
As the years passed, my view of sales evolved.
To be a successful sales person…
You have to be a helper, not a hunter.
You have to be a listener, not a teller.
You have to exercise empathy, not leverage.
You have to be a partner, not a pursuer.
You have to collaborate, not convince.
You have to be a kindred spirit, not a killer.
You have to lift them up, not take them down.
If you approach sales and marketing this way…
You’ll sell more, not less.
And your relationships with clients will be long-lasting, powerful and mutually beneficial.
There’s a way to make this happen.
It starts with understanding your prospects and crafting stories that reflect their aspirations and fears.
