Leigh offends people. She doesn’t mean to do so; in fact, she’s eager to cultivate business. However, her approach is alienating family and friends. In terms of direct sales, Leigh has joined the NFL – No Friends Left club. What went wrong?
She’s Smart
An engineer by training, Leigh has a high IQ and is a deep thinker. She worked for many years in the IT field but found herself jobless when her company was purchased and re-organized. At that time, a friend gave her the idea of residual income and invited her to become a business partner. After having positive results with the health products, she took up the role of distributor.
Leigh has never studied sales. Her only knowledge of how to sell stems from what the company recommends, and her subjective experiences. Much to her relief, the company advocates education. Just share information and people will buy. Since her own decision-making style is one of learning, this suits her well.
She’s Too Smart
Leigh sets out to read everything available about vitamins and minerals. She becomes a walking, talking encyclopedia. The problem is that she never installed an off button. Sit down to have lunch with her and the hapless victim hears a lecture about the deficits of modern-day produce and the necessity of supplementation.
Like many people, Leigh has a distorted notion of selling. She believes that enthusiasm and constant urging work best. So anyone within 3 feet is subjected to her pitch, not once, not twice, but repeatedly. Convinced that she has found the “truth”, Leigh continues to pursue individuals who she knows are “right” for the business. She invites them again and again to attend opportunity meetings. The results have been disastrous to relationships.
She’s Not Smart Enough
Leigh is stuck. She’s making a common mistake in sales, which is following the Golden Rule. She’s approaching people the way she prefers and assumes that what motivated her to buy, motivates them. Instead, she needs to practice the Platinum Rule, which states, “Do unto others as they would want done for themselves.” This means looking through the lens of prospects.
If Leigh longs for success, she has to resign from the NFL. She must shift her style to match that of the other person. When she builds relationships rather than seek transactions, she’ll achieve her goal of residual income.
About Dr. Nancy Zare
A retired professor with over 30 years experience in sales, Dr. Nancy Zare originated the AlikeAbility(TM) System to teach people to build trust quickly and authentically to convert leads into clients. Contact her for a complimentary evaluation of your selling style and analysis of where you may be stuck.
