Last week’s blog “The Simplest Way to Win Business” was also a LinkedIn Pulse Post where it got an extraordinary number of views (just under 3000) and 5X the number of likes of my previous Posts. No one was more surprised than me! The content wasn’t techie. The idea wasn’t new. The topic wasn’t controversial. So, why was this post so popular?
Possible Reasons
- It hit the chord of truth in readers who fundamentally understand that in big ticket decisions, the human element IS still a deciding factor for buyers: Do you understand me? Can I trust you?
- On closer analysis, a number of the viewers were managers. Were they
reacting to a lack of empathy that they see in their cell phone, tech-addicted sale teams? - Other?
Some Interesting Feedback
One manager sent the post to his entire team. Here are their comments…
- I agree with the notion of what she calls sales empathy. If folks have noticed me work on the floor of a trade show, it’s one of the reasons I don’t take sales literature with me. It removes a barrier and allows me to fully engage without having the specter of “sales” in play because the client thinks I’m there just for money.Therefore, I can listen intently and take mental notes. Afterward, I go to a quiet corner to write down what I remember from the encounter. That way I don’t forget things and don’t have things on top of my mind as I engage the next person on the floor.
- I agree–you have to really listen to the customer, take an interest in their business and put a plan together that helps them achieve the goals they just shared with you (or ones they’ve shared previously). If you can do that, I think you’ll have a client for LIFE!
- It can be easy to have your goal number in mind when making calls and that being what drives you to make a sale. It’s important to take a step back and remind yourself that you are there to provide them a service that helps to grow their business. You can only do that through listening and focusing on what they are saying to provide the best recommendation for them, not necessarily what is going to get you the biggest sale (although that can sometimes be really nice).
The Best Sellers are Frequently Previous Buyers
Empathy is easier to come by if you were once on the buy side. The fellow who shared his trade show tip above also writes,
The other secret in my pocket is that I was a client for many years prior to getting into publishing and sales. Those of us on the other side would mentally run and hide (and sometimes physically run away at a trade show) when a “sales” person came into view who we knew was typically on the sales hunt.
On the other hand, I rarely turned down the opportunity to listen to a sales person because they were on the street and talking to lots of customers. So they were usually pretty good at sharing anecdotal information from which I could learn and share internally at the company I was associated with at the time.
So, bottom line, I’ve got a soft spot for the other side of the desk and I think that experience helps me on this side.
Bottom-Line
I am delighted the post resonated so broadly. I hope you found it to be a helpful reminder; The sales rep above who talked about the importance of listening perhaps sums it up best: [The key is] finding the balance between bringing in the revenue and hitting numbers but also showing your customers that you are working for them.
Your thoughts?
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
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