The Third Basic Principle of Authentic Selling
The third principle of selling authentically is Respect.
Yes, Aretha Franklin would be so proud to see you inject some R-E-S-P-E-C-T into your sales conversations!
As a reminder, the first principle of Authentic Selling is Trust and the second is Transparency. Respect rounds out the trio.
We’re talking about Respect for
- Yourself
- The other person
- The potential of the other – what is she capable of with your help?
How do you respect yourself in the sales process?
- Affirm that you have something of value to offer.
- Realize that you must clearly communicate the solution you can provide.
- Imagine the kind of client you want to have in your business –include her age range, interests, goals, etc, AND how she relates to you, appreciates you, and desires to better herself by investing in working with you.
- Acknowledge that you deserve to be paid for your work. There must be an exchange of energy for the value you provide and in our culture that equals money. Your client will get better results if she is invested in the change or service that you can provide.
How do you respect the person that you are selling to?
- Acknowledge that she knows what is best for her,
- She can ask questions, gather information, and make an informed decision to guide her actions,
- Know that once she chooses to invest in working with you, the change begins. She must invest to start the transformation happening. You can offer trades or do pro bono work, but unless you run a non-profit, you must at some point bring money into your business. It’s important to get comfortable talking about money with your prospects.
How do you respect the other person’s potential?
- Realize that the person in front of you is bigger, stronger, and more capable than she may seem in the moment. She may be stressed, struggling, confused, or unhappy. But she is resourceful and when supported can work herself out of her current situation.
- Know that she gets to choose whether she wants to change. She must decide whether she wants to address her problem now, in the future, or never. It’s not your job to convince her to change. It is your job to find out what she truly wants and help her get it, even if that includes staying exactly where she is.
- Realize that many people desire to change but find it hard to actually make it happen. Your job is to paint the picture of the possibility if she does invest in working with you and help her make the best decision for her at this time.
The Unspoken Rule of Respect?
DON’T MAKE MONEY DECISIONS FOR OTHERS!
You have no idea what resources or desire your prospect has. If your services are a fit, offer them and tell her the price, and then be quiet. Let her decide what she wants to do with her money.
I invite you to incorporate Transparency, Trust, and Respect into your sales conversations. They will serve you well.
PS Want a roadmap to an authentic Sales Conversation? Join me at the April 25th Abundance with Adele in-person workshop at 11:45 am at the Frontier in Durham, NC. Our topic is Sales Conversations.
Register your free ticket to guarantee your seat here. Bring a friend and bring your lunch! I look forward to teaching you more about authentic Sales Conversations then.