December 2020

3 Tips to get on to Santa's nice "seller" list 

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NOBODY wants to be on Santa’s Naughty List, right?  But there are times we may not have said exactly what we wanted to say to a colleague or buyer and think, “hmmm, that wasn’t nice…maybe I need to put myself on Santa's list”.  
 
While this monthly newsletter normally focuses on specific skill development issues that underline the drive towards individual peak performance, this is the feel good time of the year when you deserve my best Secret Santa Sales Tip…
 
Kill ‘em with kindness!
 
In other words, be nice.  Tone down the salesperson-ship, chill out a tad, switch to decaf, down-shift a gear, hit the slo-mo button!  R E L A X.  Connect with ALL in your sphere as a human being first, a seller second.
 
The technical sales skills needed to get you to the top of the sales leader board are hugely important too.  But nothing replaces kindness and being nice.  Being a caring human being IS the secret Santa skill that will separate you from the other hit-n-run drivers!  Caring about the buyer and what the buyer cares about is paramount in sales.  But in a genuine way…not in the manner of, “I gotta be this way to make more sales”.  That approach gets smoked-out fast.
 
Of course, this all makes sense as you're now saying to yourself,  “…but I AM nice….I AM kind”. 

Well, no doubt you are…and of course your mother thinks so, but she doesn’t see you in work mode.  NOT SAYING you’re not nice and kind, but it’s like that beauty thing… it’s all in the eyes of the beholder.  (The truth is, you know when you’re being nice versus naughty.) 
 
So obviously you must now ask yourself the most crucial question:  
 
Can I still be nice and kind and maintain an assertive, proactive, fast, and ambitious approach to my sales efforts?  Can those seemingly disparate approaches co-exist?
 
Yes, of course!  Being assertive with your selling actions and methods does not infer you can’t be nice.  It just takes some mental discipline.  Here are some tips to help:
 
1)  Spend time literally thinking about what it means to be the person you’re dealing with.  How did their day start?  How is their home life?  What challenges are they grappling with that may cause angst and hardship?  This is not to say you need to get answers to these questions, but you need to think from their eyes.  Of course, this is all under the banner of “empathy”; if you think you need to work on your empathy, then go find a good book or dig in with friends who are empathic to understand where you need to go.  

2)  Start every conversation asking someone a question other than “how are you doing?”  It’s trite and most of the time yields nothing.  The foundation to being nice and kind is built on taking a genuine interest in others.  Open your conversations with creative questions…sometimes ask them what fun thing they most recently did or are planning on doing soon.  Here’s another good one: ask where they are on the “happy meter” for the day.  (AND THEN LISTEN!) Change it up.  Be personable.  Show interest in them through creative ways and questioning.  Show your personality and they’ll show you theirs which is a pretty good way to be a human!

3)  Offer to do something on their behalf…for nothing in return.  Or, better yet, just do it.  Selfless acts – whether proactive or solicited - are a great way to show kindness.    
 
There are so many more ideas on how to be nice and kind but it takes commitment and mental adjustments to get there.  Many folks might argue you’re born with a certain disposition - born with a high level of empathy or selflessness, and they may be right.  Somewhat right.  But many of our behaviors are learned, which means - please - no excuses.  Slow down, think before you speak, pre-meditate your actions, and think about how you can soften your edge and STILL rank atop the sales leader list in your company.  
 
Happy Holidays,
​Michael 

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