Stress Test Results

Working in the Mine
A truly remarkable property of other people is that there really isn't that much that you can tell about them by looking at them. Their clothes tell you only how they choose to dress today. They might look dreadful because they are on their way to change their oil. They may look great because they are trying to impress. Their height, weight, and complexion tell us nothing worth knowing. Oh, we sometimes jump to unwarranted conclusions based on superficialities. But they are just that: unwarranted assumptions. It's easy to judge books by their covers. It's unlikely that our judgments will be correct.

In order to understand anything worth understanding about another person we'll have to get them to talk. Only thereby will their mystery be unraveled. To complicate matters, people are not necessarily inclined to share the truth. The first things that they say lack context. They may be shy, fearful or ambivalent and hence, be guarded. They may embrace political correctness. The unwary and the naive take what people say at face value when, in fact, the truth is a prize that must be earned.

Does any of this matter? It matters a lot if you're in sales and in today's marketplace everybody at your business who ever speaks to anyone outside of your business had better be in sales to some extent. The people in your firm meet people who are your prospects every day. These interactions, whether they arise by chance or design, should not be squandered. Yet they often are. You paid for them. Why not teach your people the art of harvest?

Bringing home the bacon is not rocket science. Three things have to happen:
1. The meeting has to turn into a conversation.
2. The conversation has to result in a good impression.
3. The impression has to result in an introduction to someone at your firm who is skilled in the science of conversion.

Curiosity is the key.

So often initial interactions lead to premature pitches. This is putting the sales horse before the cart. To put people at ease one should focus the conversation on the other person not on what you and/or your firm can do for them. Just as often, no conversation gets started at all. People exchange pleasantries and then go right back to talking with people whom they already know. When meeting a stranger see the opportunity as a gift from above. At least pretend that the other person is interesting and, lo and behold, most people turn out to be just that: interesting.

Being interested shows that you care. Listening is a rare and precious commodity. People respond to people who listen. They sometimes talk about their goals, values and dreams. From such stuff great sales and lasting relationships are made. Yet few people study the fine art of drawing others out. Countless hours of school has taught us to demonstrate our knowledge. We naively try to impress. Others are not attracted to those with expertise nearly as much as they are to people who try to understand them. The time to demonstrate your competence will come only after you've earned the right to have a real sales conversation.

Your prospect should feel that in meeting you they've discovered a hidden gem, a treasure, someone who makes them feel important and good about themselves. In the modern business world this is a largely lost art. But, with practice, it can be recaptured. As kids many of us did it naturally. I'll say it again.

Curiosity is the key.

Mark Fitzgerald, Sales Training Institute, Inc., Tampa, Florida provides this column weekly. Mr. Fitzgerald provides both group and customized sales training for professionals and companies. For more information, please contact him by telephone at 813-831-5555, via email at mark@saleskills.com or visit www.saleskills.com.