“I hate sales!” “I could never sell anything!” I wish I had a dime—maybe a dollar—for every time I uttered phrases like that.
My first business coach helped me break that thought pattern. Here is how the thinking goes:
You are an engineer who excels at (fill in the blank).
You happen to meet Chris, whose company does (fill in the blank).
Chris mentions that he/she really needs help filling a client’s request for (what you provide).
Upon hearing that, you say, “I/we can help you with that.”
Chris says, “I’d like to learn more. Call me.”
Did you sell anything? No.
Did you tell Chris you could help with the problem? Yes.
Did you have to take Chris down some long sales conversation to get his/her interest? No.
Will you close the deal? The likelihood is high.
Selling isn’t about selling in that icky, slimy way that you have perceived it. Selling is about you providing a friend/client/stranger with a solution to the problem they’re trying to address. In return for your help, you get paid.
If you’re still on the fence, ask yourself who you pay to provide a needed service to you. Your yard people? Your mechanic? Your babysitter?
I love this quote from author and psychologist Wayne Dyer: “When you change the way you think about things, the things you think about change.”
Change how you think about selling. Build relationships instead.
Here is some great advice from two of my favorite coaching clients.
Anna was my first coaching client a long time ago. Originally from Ukraine, she became a partner in a small transportation engineering company in the U.S. Then she became CEO and soon learned how much she did not know.
However, Anna did know she needed to build relationships to grow her business. “I’m a complete introvert. I just don’t talk to people,” Anna said in an interview recently. “I hated phone calls. I mean, I still hate phone calls.”
“So I had to break myself and become this person that comes over and talks and smiles and laughs and is outgoing,” Anna said.
Check out this short clip to see what Anna advises you to do. And why.
Doug is the opposite of Anna. I say he can sell anything to anybody. Business development is not a problem for Doug. That’s why I was startled at Doug’s response when I recently asked him for his advice for someone who’s 37 to 40 years old and wants to move up in their company. “What does that person need to do from a business development perspective?” I asked.
His response: Stop selling. Check out the short clip to see what he means.
I have had interesting conversations with some very logic-minded engineers over the years. They tell me customers buy from them because of:
Their technical expertise: “We’re the best”
Their experience: “25 years in business”
Price point: Underbid the competition
The truth is, people buy from you because they:
Like you, as Anna said
Believe you truly understand their needs, as Doug said
Have a relationship with you
For more information on why people buy from you and on why you aren’t selling, check out these resources:
Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion: The classic on why we do what we do (my favorite)
Sales Brain: Neuromarketers explain sales and persuasion with tons of graphics
Inc.: Emotions drive purchasing decisions and decision-making