“Be authentic” has been a popular phrase splattered all over the internet in recent years, and the meaning has become a bit confusing with all the buzz around it. “Be mindful and self-aware” are also everywhere during these social media-obsessed days. It’s hard to be ourselves in sales, as sales professional trainers and coaches promote high energy, lots of smiles, and stringent scripts. Are we ourselves with all these additional “sales personality tricks” sales trainers are instilling in us? Probably not, and when we aren’t ourselves, our prospects know we are faking it. We really do want to be ourselves, don’t we? After all my years in the business, I have some opinions about being “ourselves” in sales.
In sales, it can be challenging to remember who we are, since sales professionals are constantly inundated with the latest trends and tactics sales gurus and trainers tout as best practices. We are encouraged to use the exact same styles and processes that they use. “Do this,” or “Do that, and then say this” is all intended to program us to be a certain personality type. I remember when I became a sales trainer and my sales manager instructed me not to teach personality, rather, to teach systems. Too bad most sales gurus didn’t learn that. Systems can be taught, personality can’t. No prospect wants to hear the same thing over and over again from robot sales professionals. You are yourself, exactly who you are, and you don’t need to be anyone else but you because really, that’s what makes you different – and that’s your edge.
I’m a 40% introvert, 60% extrovert Myers-Briggs ENTJ, so I love collaborative leadership and strive to streamline life to be as easy as I can make it. When I was learning to be a sales professional, I had some amazing trainers who encouraged me to embrace my chattiness and love for people along with my detail-oriented personality. I was encouraged to use the best of what makes me, me.
Use systems that work. Sales advice is great, but filter it through the lens of your true self. If you are outgoing and high energy, then use that energy, and if you’re more reserved, play up your detail-oriented skills. Figure out your strengths, and use them. List them, then determine how you can use sales advice while staying in alignment with your true self. I’m not a very over-the-top person, for instance. I smile and I’m energetic, but I’m not going to raise my energy level to 100% to talk to a prospect for two reasons: one, it’s not me, and two, why am I going to bring that level of energy to someone who is going about their day like a normal person? I’ll mirror my prospects’ energy levels a little bit above theirs, and by doing this, I can be myself and empathize with them.
Determining Your Sales Self
For the next five days I want you to be more aware of yourself. Don’t be obsessive about it, just think about how you speak, how you use body language, and what words you use. When you’re speaking and moving, how do people look at you in response? Take mental notes of what you are saying and doing when people smile and give you positive words and responses. Based on these five days of awareness, you should be able to do the following:
List five of your top attributes How do people respond to these attributes?
When do you feel most comfortable? How do they react to your comfortable mannerisms?
Take some time to be mindful of your best attributes, what feels comfortable, and others’ reactions to these natural mannerisms.
Write this all out, write it with a positive angle and as affirmations of your personality. Write it all down on cards, and remember this is who you are. If you have some negative mannerisms, maybe you picked them up from someone else. This is a great time to consider those and start correcting them so you be more genuinely upbeat. If you work on the phone, then consider your tone of voice, the way you say words, and how you react to what your prospect says.
Systematic Response
Sometimes it is helpful to have some systematic responses in your back pocket for similar situations and personality types. I like using the following animals as examples of prospect personalities and what impulse factors to use in response:
The Owl – This prospect has so many questions and is constantly asking you for every single detail. Be yourself with a bit of indifference when you answer. Be interested in them, but make sure your body language and tone reflect that you aren’t going to be bothered if they want it or not. You are interested in the prospect, but not the sale. Remember, you have so many opportunities that you’re content even if this person says ‘no’.
The Tiger – This prospect is super busy, they have no time for anything. You will mirror them by being yourself but adding to your mannerisms and tone of voice just a bit of quickness, which perpetuates a sense of urgency. They need to get this done quickly, so take control and do it for them. Fill out the papers and just go for it quickly. If they say ‘no’, ask why, and if they say they don’t want it, then reschedule or let it go depending on the circumstances. Don’t let it bother you if they get angry; later on they may think about your method and smile because your reaction was exactly what they really wanted. I would follow up with them later even if they said ‘no’, just to see if there is a chance. Who knows? You might make a friend; these prospect personalities are fun.
The Peacock – This prospect doesn’t want anything, and worse yet, doesn’t care about anything but themselves. If you aren’t this sort of person, it’s kind of hard to understand where they are coming from. They want social proof, which means they want to know someone else wants what you have in order to feel comfortable buying it. You will be yourself, keep your values, but nonchalantly give a name and example of a person who just bought it who is enjoying it. Their neighbor, business competitor, or high-ranking member of their community will be the best social proof for this individual.
The Cat – This prospect wants to save it for later. They can’t be bothered with it now, so provide them a deal that’s expiring soon to instill a fear of loss. Be honest about it, so either you’re leaving the area, or there is a promotion available your company is offering that ends soon. Don’t lie, be honest, but do create this impulse with something that’s true.
Being mindful of who we are can be challenging these days. They say a habit takes twenty-one days to form, so practice being mindful of who you are for this amount of time, and you just might learn some fun and lovable things about yourself. You may also find some areas to work on improving. Embrace who you are, it’s your differentiator, and no one else can ever be you so it’s an edge you have. Have fun and enjoy the process; arriving at the destination isn’t where all the fun is. It’s the journey there that’s the real adventure.
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