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The Humility
Advantage - How Less Ego Creates More Sales
By Jeff Mowatt
See if this applies to you or your team
members in your organization: You've been working in your industry for
several years. Your responses to requests from customers, prospects and
co-workers are fast and accurate. You know your stuff and your product
knowledge is one of your greatest strengths. If this is the case, then
the bad news is that your extensive knowledge may also be one of your
greatest weaknesses. The reason - you may be inadvertently coming across
as being arrogant and insensitive.
I'm not suggesting that you have a holier-than-thou attitude or that you
are unfriendly. It's just that you are so quick with your answers and
recommendations that others feel like you haven't really been listening
to their needs (even though you have). In other words, the greater your
expertise, the more likely it is that you are unintentionally rubbing
people the wrong way. The good news is that there's an easy way to
prevent this misconception that I call The Humility Advantage©.
Working with over a hundred sales and service teams over the years, I've
found there are at least seven key opportunities where a little employee
humility pays-off substantially. Here are three that I often share in my
Influence with Ease® speeches and seminars.
1. Mention your Homework
Several years ago, a couple of branding consultants approached me
about enlisting their services. My first thought was that these folks
knew nothing about my company or my industry, so why on earth should I
pay their sizable fees. I only agreed to meet with them because a
colleague said they'd done good work for his firm.
When I sat down with the consultants, they did not start asking me
lots of questions about me and my industry. (That would have confirmed
to me that they really didn't know my business world and would have
ended their chances of selling me their services). Instead, they began
the meeting explaining that, by way of preparation, they'd been
chatting with some of my colleagues and customers to find out their
impressions of my company's services. Then, they asked if I would like
to hear the word-on-the-street. As you can imagine, that got my
attention. And the ensuing conversation led me to engage their
services.
When you talk with potential customers, do you begin the conversation
by mentioning the homework you've done on their company? If not,
you're missing an opportunity to let them know that you are truly
interested in them.
Rather than starting a sales conversation by asking about their needs,
try commenting on something you saw on their website or read about
them in an industry journal. It's a powerful way to confirm to others
that you're knowledgeable without coming across as one who brags. It's
one of the first steps in applying the humility advantage.
2. Confirm your Understanding
If you've participated as an audience member in one of my live
presentations, you might have seen me step off the stage pretending to
be a waiter taking food orders from several audience members as if
they're at a restaurant. During this skit, rather than order directly
from a menu, each patron has a special request such as, “I'll have
the salad with the meal.” or “I'd like to have fruit instead of
fries,” etc. As the waiter, I don't write any of this down, and as
you've likely guessed, when I walk away, the patrons assume that there
is no way I'm going to get all the orders straight.
There's the problem. I may have listened accurately to each request,
but the emotions I left with my customers are worry and lack of
confidence in my service.
As an experienced professional in your industry, you may be a great
listener, but are you perceived as such? Being regarded as a poor
listener is a surefire way to kill a sale or curtail your career.
Fortunately, by using a little humility, this is easy to correct. In
the waiter demonstration, I redo the same order-taking scenario,
except the second time after taking the orders, I say, “Let me make
sure I've got this straight. You would like yours with fruit instead
of fries...” (I then confirm everyone's special request accurately).
Suddenly, the restaurant patrons feel good about the quality of my
service. Here's the key; I repeated my understanding of their needs
with the phrase, “Let me make sure I've got this straight.” Fact
is, I knew I had it straight, but the customer didn't. The catch is,
if my ego were running my life I'd never say, “Let me make sure I've
got this straight.” Hence the Humility Advantage.
Here's one more application:
3. Ask Permission to Present
You've probably heard the expression that people don't like to be
sold-to, but they love to buy. That means that before you present the
benefits of your products or services, remember to ask for permission.
When you thread all these techniques together, a sales conversation
might start by pointing out the homework you've done on the other
person. Then ask about their needs, confirming your understanding
with, “Let me make sure I've got this straight…” Later, ask
permission to present with, “Based on what you've told me, I do have
some thoughts. Would you like to hear a couple of options that I think
would fit for you?” Once the other person agrees, they'll feel less
like they are being forced, and more like they are being helped.
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About The Author
This article is based on the
critically acclaimed book, Becoming a Service Icon in 90
Minutes a Month, by business strategist and international
speaker Jeff Mowatt. To obtain your own copy of his book or to
inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit http://www.jeffmowatt.com
or call 1-800-JMowatt (566-9288).
Category: Sales and Marketing
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