"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
Norman Schwarzkopf
What would happen to conversational competency if salespeople focused more on client centric conversations as opposed to keyboard driven conversations?
Stop and think about this question...
Are we living in an anti-depth world?
Tech stacks, automation, cadences, mouse-clicks and templates are robbing salespeople of true connection.
Too many in sales have dehumanized sales as "scaling" has become the corporate buzzword.
What would happen to conversations and connections if we replace the scaling mentality with a serving mentality?
Our ability to connect with people around the world has exploded. It has never been as easy as it is right now to connect with people. This has caused a huge issue inside the sales world, and it is exposing how difficult it is to truly connect with meaning, substance and sincerity.
Technology has threatened and supplanted face-to-face intimacy. With devices in hand or fingers on a keyboard, we can avoid human exchange and any potential awkwardness, fear or anxiety.
Sherry Turkle, an MIT Science and Society professor and author of the book, "Reclaiming Conversation"... Devices interfere with conversations, empathy, imagination, patience, resilience, inner life and mental health.
Professor Mike Tomasello, A developmental, comparative psychologist, and linguist. He is a professor of psychology from Duke University.
He reminds us,
"Though we share 99 percent of our genetic makeup with the apes, humans are ultra-social. We thrive on connecting with others. And we use our sophisticated social acumen to figure out just what a person meant irrespective of what she said or did. These features of connectedness are built upon a foundation of human interaction."
Think of all the breakdowns in conversational timing and the lack of meaningful interaction that takes place when we hide behind technology stacks, cadences and keyboards.
Real conversations do not take place with a machine or technology stacks that do not care.
Has device and technology dependency in sales stunted one's opportunity to build a human connection?
Why are we feeling less connected than ever during the digital age?
We are more connected, but why are we so alone?
How many of your clients are feeling alone?
How many of you are connecting the human dots instead of using bots?
How many of your clients are feeling lonely and neglected? Would you even know?
“Communication is merely an exchange of information, but connection is an exchange of our humanity.”
Sean Stephenson
TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCY, SUPERFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Technology is wonderful and forever engrained into what we do, however, it is stunting our relational growth.
According to The Oxford Dictionary, superficial is defined as,
“Existing or occurring at or on the surface; not thorough, deep, or complete; lacking depth of character or understanding.”
Let's pause on the last word, understanding is the key in talking about what a superficial relationship is lacking.
You can't build upon and therefore, you will struggle to build meaningful relationships with your clients unless you talk about real issues and share real problems.
How many of you right now are being real, relevant or even relatable within your client relationships? Would you even know?
We as humans crave and value relationships. Do you believe your clients feel the same way?
Relationships are a part of human nature. It's wired in our DNA.
True connection requires curiosity, compassion and conversation... something that technology will struggle to mirror.
Are you investing in building meaningful relationships?
How much do you know about your clients?
Do you know what their career aspirations are?
Do you know or have a sense of what's important to them?
What are their values?
What pisses them off?
Technology stacks, cadences, templates and automation... They do not have heartbeats. In fact, they act as a vacuum and suck the life out of your clients.
Are you digging below the relational surface or are you allowing technology to replace your voice?
VULNERABILITY BUILDS CONNECTION, NOT TECHNOLOGY
Humans, we crave connection in our personal lives but why does this become so difficult in our professional lives?
"Connection and vulnerability are our constant reminders that we are all here for a reason. Our time here is short but our impacts are great."
Melissa Joyce
In the sales world where trust is at an all-time low, where many believe those in sales are full of B.S., it's those who are willing to love, cherish, care and show compassion for their clients that will reap the relationship benefits.
Vulnerability builds trust in a relationship. And isn't this what you want with your clients?
Heartfelt sales professionals respect their vulnerability, embrace it and act from it. They do not hide behind technology. They understand the 'why' behind technology but will never allow technology to replace deep meaningful conversations.
We must be willing to accept the gift of vulnerability.
How well are you connected to your authentic self?
It's hard to become vulnerable with your client relationships if you fail to become vulnerable with yourself!
"We must be willing to completely reveal layers of ourselves in order to reach an authentic, tangible connection with another soul. Vulnerability is in actuality connection in its invisible form."
Melissa Joyce
SALES PROFESSIONALS HUMANIZE CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS
You must find a way to connect with your clients and show them why you’re unique.
It becomes so easy to hide behind technology stacks, automation and inhumane cadences just like all the other empty suits, however; integrating compassion, caring and real conversations becomes jet fuel for strengthening client relationships.
If you hunger to achieve true sales excellence, it can't just be about you. It must be bigger than you.
You must be driven by a personal mission to make your clients business world better. This cannot be done through tech stacking them to death.
- You must care intensely about your clients.
- You must have compassion for your clients.
- You must drive meaningful conversation with your clients.
You owe your clients a world full of rich conversations. To give them that gift, you need to look into their eyes and value their contribution to the conversation.
The time is now to reclaim conversations with your clients. Celebrate the very core of what it means to be human with your clients.
Stephen Covey nails it,
"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."
Sales professionals keep the main thing the main thing... their clients!
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 believe you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps become sales professionals. 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.
You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebookand on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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