I’m sitting at Panera and knocking out a little work – my headphones are in, but I can still hear the two guys next to me pretty well.
It’s a sales call of some health-related service of some sort – the buyer is giving off body language that says he’s suspicious of what the product is claiming to do. Asking a lot of pointed questions. Very closed off.
I thought to myself, ‘this meeting ain’t going well!’
THEN – somehow fishing came up. The buyer’s body language changed – the seller started talking about his bass fishing tournaments and boat – the buyer talked about his recent fishing trip. Things went from serious to laughing and connecting and having a good time!
Lesson? Look for openings in the conversation to find common ground. Ask questions that might lead the conversation that way. Find shared interests. It’s all about connecting and building ‘know, like, and trust.’
It’s also a lot more fun for not just the buyer, but the seller. Work on building a relationship vs. just SELLING. Be real! Be yourself!
Hopefully, that’s a thought that you can keep in mind and that will prove helpful to you in the days and weeks ahead.
Keep working hard,
-Kyle
