In a recent New York Times interview, Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture was asked what she looked for in a new hire. I thought the two traits she named are also a part of what makes successful salespeople and presenters effective. They were curiosity and leadership. How does that apply to selling and presenting?
Curiosity Makes the Cat Smarter
Sweet wants her new hires to be continuous learners, to be eternally curious. We have all heard the expression “curiosity killed the cat.” Not so in sales. When a client describes a situation, poor salespeople, alert to listening for a need or a buzz word (cost, time lost, slow turnaround, poor interface, etc.), tend to quickly jump into solution presentation mode. Then, they are surprised when the client doesn’t buy or, worse, buys from the competition. It is invariably because, based on limited situational knowledge, the salesperson committed presentation suicide: presenting to only part of the client’s total situation
A smarter sales person resists that urge to sell right away and explores the apparent need more thoroughly.
- Why does this situation exist?
- How did the situation come to be?
- Why is this important now?
- What factors prevent improvement or change?
- What would things be like if there were a change?
- Who has a stake in the status quo?
- Who has a stake in change?
- What would have to happen to begin the change?
When this bigger picture is known, there is a better chance of presenting the right information, in the right way, with the right benefits to the right people and winning the business.
Leadership
Sweet says, “I don’t care what level you are, there is the need to offer straight talk when you are working with clients. You ought to have the courage to deliver tough messages. We are living in a world today where clients are constantly saying, ‘The most important thing you can do is tell what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.’”
That one is pretty self-evident.
- If it can’t be done or you can’t do it, tell them.
- If their assessment is at odds with the facts, tell them.
- If you’ve made an error, be the first to admit it.
Invariably, you will gain their respect and their business, if not immediately, then in the future.
Curiosity and Leadership, two traits to cultivate for deepening relationships and building business.
Anne Miller
Words Matter! – Make What You Say Pay!
Recommendation
If you missed it, be sure to check out last week’s post on Mitch Jackson’s terrific new book, The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Professionals, Business Owners, & Entrepreneurs.
Also, you can listen to Mitch’s podcast with me based on my chapter in his book: “Hooked! Why Metaphors Should Be Part of Every Social Media Strategy.” https://bit.ly/2TtZwSS
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