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I just got back from a bike ride along the ocean and
while riding I "people-watch." Living in a beach
community you get to see lots of different types of
people, especially when the weather's nice as it is
now.
I was noticing the amazing variety of people today.
Men, women, kids. Some riding bikes. Some faster
than me and others that I left in the dust. Some
jogging, some running, some walking.
Women in full makeup and high heels as well as
others in workout gear and sweating up a storm. Fat
men with their shirts off (ugh) and young guys with buff
bodies that make me ride a little faster and longer so
that I, too, can have abs that others can see instead of
only in my dreams. For now, my abs are hidden by a
layer of...well, we don't have to go there. The point is
each of the people I noticed today were being
themselves and I was being myself. I didn't need to be
anyone else and neither did they. So, what does this
have to do with selling?
For years I've attended seminars and read books and
newsletters (I still do) in order to learn what's out there
and help improve myself. I can't tell you how many
workshops I've attended that teach how you to figure
out what "type" of person/buyer the prospect is and
how to adjust your selling style to match their buying
style in order to improve the odds of getting a sale.
One organization calls them Bosses, Users,
Gatekeepers and Supporters. (BUGS) Another calls
them Drivers, Analyticals, Amiables and Expressives.
The list goes on and on. Supposedly, if you figure out
what "type" your prospect is you can then change who
you are or how you sell to better accommodate the
way they like to buy. BUNK!
Just like I don't change who I am when I am riding my
bicycle, I don't change who I am when I'm selling. I
suggest that people, including your prospects,
can "smell" a phony a mile away and changing who
you are or how you are being with them will set off
alarms in their heads. It's kind of like dating. (in fact, a
sales call is very much like a date) If you meet
someone and are on your best behavior, acting like
the person you think they'd like you to be, you're going
to be in deep trouble later on when you start acting like
who you really are. If you like to eat ribs with your
fingers (is there any other way?) would you use a knife
and fork on a date so that the person sitting across
from you doesn't see you getting bbq sauce all over
your fingers? Probably not, so why would you act
differently with a prospect just because of what type
they are?
Don't get me wrong, if your prospect talks slowly and
thinks slowly and you're a fast talker it's probably wise
to slow down a little bit when dealing with this
particular person. But changing your entire style and
personality? Silly.
The fact is that buyers buy two things: relationship and
value. I've dealt with value in this column before and
will most likely deal with it again soon, as it is so
important. Relationship is equally important. People
buy from those they like and trust unless they have no
choice, which isn't usually the case. How can you have
a relationship based on like and trust if the prospect
isn't getting to know the "real" you?
If you are a heavy drinker or drug user I'm not
suggesting you should be drink or high on sales calls
but I do suggest you Just Be Yourself. People will
either like you or not. Typically salespeople
are "people" people. One of the traits of most great
salespeople is their "likeability" factor. The "greats"
are almost always the type of people that others
immediately like. By being yourself, instead of
worrying about what "type" the other person is, you can
develop a real rapport which can lead to like and trust
and, hopefully, a long-term profitable business
relationship.
Forget all that other stuff. Just Be Yourself. You'll have
more fun and close more business.
Make It Happen! Jeff
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