A huge mistake many salespeople make (I’ve caught myself doing this many times), is attempting to persuade our prospect to buy what “we” like without considering what “they” like. Have you ever done that? After all, because ‘I’ think this style looks best, obviously the prospect must, too.” Or, “‘I’ like this financial growth plan better than any of the others.” Maybe even, “Take a look at this widget; it’s got 107 ways that you can blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Isn’t it magnificent!?”
Now, please don’t get me wrong. Genuine enthusiasm is very important. It’s a key to successful selling. Sales superstar and bestselling author, Zig Ziglar, even teaches that “The last four letters of ‘enthusiasm’, which are I – A – S – M, stand for ‘I Am Sold Myself’” (you’ll have to imagine his classic accent on your own). Yes, enthusiasm (gentle enthusiasm) is a key to success in sales.
Still, we need to discover what enthuses our prospect even more than what enthuses us. Author, political speechwriter and master persuader Michael Cloud says, “When I go fishing I put worms on the fishhook. I don’t like to eat worms; fish do. So I put on the hook what the fish like instead of what I like.”
Great point. So, yes, by all means, be enthusiastic. But first, find out what enthuses your prospect, then simply become enthusiastic about helping your prospect own what he or she wants.
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Bob Burg speaks on “Endless Referrals” and “Positive Persuasion.” He is author of “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales” and “Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion”, “The Go-Giver“, and “Go-Givers Sell More.” Visit Bob Burg at www.burg.com.
