“The closer you stay to emotional authenticity and people, character authenticity, the less you can go wrong. That’s how I feel now, no matter what you’re doing.”
David O. Russell
Real, genuine, heartfelt, sincere, true, honest and filled with integrity... isn't this what we desire in our personal relationships? Curious... Why do so many in sales and leadership struggle to bring this to their professional relationships?
Authenticity is one of the biggest challenges for salespeople in a profession riddled with unscrupulous, fake and disingenuous sales reps; that quite frankly many buyers despise.
Authenticity separates sales reps from sales professionals
This may sound a bit touchy-feely but set aside some alone time, look inside yourself and reflect upon your career, as sales is all about building credible, genuine and real relationships.
However, to build these relationships and change the way people think, you need to understand who you are and what goods you bring to the business table.
Here lies the issue, many in sales struggle with and have a hard time comprehending the value they bring to the marketplace because they haven’t spent the time investing in themselves.
Allow this quote from Tony Robbins to sink in for a moment,
“Do what you did at the beginning of a relationship and there won’t be an end.”
Think about client attrition and now reread the quote again... Do I have you thinking?
You see, I believe we live in a business world where relationships matter.
How you develop, nurture and build a healthy relationship funnel will play a significant part in the strength of your sales funnel.
- What defines a client relationship?
- What does a relationship look like to you?
I'd like for you to think about this:
The relationships you think you have with your clients; do they feel the same way about their relationship with you?
When was the last time you asked your clients what they expect in a business relationship and with YOU? Try it, you may learn something!
“Business is all about relationships, how well you build them determines how well they build your business.”
Brad Sugars
INVEST IN RELATIONSHIPS
Highly successful professionals, the best of the best, spend heartfelt hours every week investing in their client relationships. They commit to listening and learning something new about their clients. They show appreciation and constantly thank them for their business.
There's no better investment you can make than to invest in your clients.
Your clients are your most valuable asset. Sales professionals understand and make daily deposits in their client's emotional bank account. They understand every investment they make in their clients, pays dividends now, next month and into the future.
My concern throughout the sales world is this... Sales reps’ success has been measured by the number or the value of deals they close. Please do not get me wrong as this is important, however; this drives many in sales to take a transactional approach to building relationships.
Transactional mindsets conflict with and diminish the authenticity of the relationships.
Salespeople may experience success in the short-term, however; in the long run, authentic relationships are the key to building a thriving long-term sales career.
Authentic relationships are not based on a sales cycle or a buying journey.
WHAT IS YOUR INTENT?
In order to have an authentic relationship, please ask yourself, "What is my intention for this relationship?"
Stop... This is where I would like everyone in sales and leadership to give this one some thought. What is your intention?
Transactional intent oozes "I want to get what I need from them" and relational intent oozes "I want a trusted relationship in which we both benefit each other".
For relationships to be authentic, your mindset must be one of a genuine and sincere desire to be of value to the other person.
In a sales world where trust is almost non-existent, authenticity is super critical in bridging the relational trust gaps.
AUTHENTICITY, IT IS NOT COMPLICATED
Building authentic relationships is not complicated, nor is it rocket science but it does take patience and a shift in mental focus.
In doing a bit of research, I came across Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and her book Love 2.0. In her research she believes authentic relationships are good for our well-being.
She points to research that micro-moments of connection among humans improve our immune systems. The vagus nerve which connects our brains to our hearts and regulates the body’s inflammation, glucose and heart rate, protecting the body from heart attacks, strengthens as the body experiences more of these micro-moments of connection.
Based on Barbara's research, she uncovered those micro-moments require three factors: a sharing of positive emotions among two or more people, synchrony between their biochemistry (via mirror neurons in their brains) and a mutual desire for each other’s well-being.
Could these three micro-moments benefit you as a sales professional between you and your clients?
AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS
If you want authentic meaningful relationships with your clients, look no further than yourself. Become authentic. Become yourself. Know thyself is to value thyself. What makes you tick?
Authentic sales professionals are not afraid to be who they are and show who they are to their clients.
Authentic sales professionals are interested in others, their clients.
Authentic sales professionals know their place in the business world and fulfill their client's world with joy and attention.
Authentic sales professionals put their clients at ease. They make them feel relaxed, heard, respected, and most all, important.
INVEST AND COLLECT
Authentically investing in your clients and the relationships you have with them is one of the most rewarding investments you can make. These relationships will open new doors and provide you with new opportunities that would have been unheard of otherwise.
I will leave you with this...
Without building your “relationship capital” with your clients then how can you keep a consistent, well flowing sales funnel?
Without investing in building deep meaningful connections with your clients then how can you expect to reap the benefits that relationship has to offer?
"The key to making money is to stay invested."
Suze Orman
If you fail to invest in your client relationships, then you will never be able to collect on the relationship.
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social and Selling from the heart inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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