5 Keys to Selling Yourself Profitably.

Date: October 8, 2007
Word count: 1079
Reading time: 2-3 minutes
Benefits of Taking Action: 5 important reminders from a 2007 book by a bestselling author that we all need to sell more effectively  

One of the best sales books I've ever read was Harry Beckwith's Selling the Invisible. I picked up his latest book recently, You, Inc.- The Art of Selling Yourself, and thought I'd share a few of the key insights I got from it.

1. People buy you first. Forget the company name, people do business with optimists because they enjoy spending time with them. "They 'buy' people with integrity because people with integrity do what they say they will." Like it or not, Beckwith argues that life is a popularity contest: "Attitude matters. Attitude sells." Sales is a transfer of enthusiasm.
Do people buy your energy level?

2. "People value - and pay more for - the way you make them feel."
Beckwith cites all the research done on restaurants that demonstrates that people do not tip better for superior service. They tip better when the wait person makes them feel good.

One of the masters of this is a mortgage broker I know. She treats everyone she has a meeting with like she is getting together with a good friend. Sometimes you are not aware you are feeling good on a conscious level, but your associations of her afterwards are all positive. It never comes across as fake or as a technique she read in a book. She listens sincerely and empathically. She does the little things very well. This feeling she creates is quite powerful and few do it consistently well.

What one thing can you do to create a better experience?

3. Your prospects, clients and referral partners seek comfort more than anything else. They need to feel comfortable with you - before you do anything else (like sell!).

a) Interestingly, your competence is not quite as important as you might think. Expert advice is only good if it inspires you to act on it! Your prospect may know several people who are capable. Beckwith argues that people choose you because you're good and something in YOU resonates with them.

b) "Overwhelming evidence shows that clients do not choose the 'best' firm." They choose the person they can relate to.
Here's an example: This week I got a call from a client who had met two CPAs for a beer after work. His goal was to start a referral relationship with them. "And you know what, Matt, that I think made all the difference? I started the conversation out asking Jessica how she got introduced to Guinness. I didn't just jump straight into business. We chatted for a while."

The very next day Jessica the CPA emailed my client and wrote: "I would enjoy continuing this relationship between you, Kristin and I so that we can develop a better understanding of both of our client needs." Now that's a perfect start and it says to me "we are comfortable with you."

c) Comfort level extends to first impressions - how people are made to feel when they first walk into your office or meet you at the local coffee shop. "People decide, then think - the first thing to plan for is your first impression." Beckwith believes we think with our eyes and recommends that you not dress to stand out. Think about all those pictures of people on book covers. They do not dress flamboyantly. Your dress code should be professional but designed to put the other person at ease - not intimidate or distract them in any way.

Last fall I saw a speaker who was wearing a lime green suit and just seemed to have a few too many sales 'techniques' that sounded gimmicky. That may not have been true but I couldn't get that image out of my head. His dress code didn't fit his conservative audience.

Speaking of first impressions, the mortgage broker I mentioned earlier does an outstanding job of this. When she greets you, you always feel special and sincerely liked. I believe this is an art form.

4. Communicate so that you cannot be misunderstood.
This hit home for me this week because of an email I got from a prospect in England that was really confusing and where phone contact is complicated by a six-hour time difference and two people who are seldom in the office.

How many times do you get an email where you say to yourself; "I don't understand what s/he means"? Or you get an email asking you a question that to answer professionally could take a significant amount of time and you say to yourself: "Why didn't they pick up the phone"?

Beckwith's point is that we tend to write or say too much and it often leaves room for confusion. He reminds us that people like simplicity because it gives them certainty and that's what they want. I know sometimes things aren't simple but even more reason then to communicate so you are not misunderstood.

Tip: pause before hitting send on an email and check how clear you have been.

5. Invest more in yourself and your business because it is a sign of confidence in what you are offering. Beckwith tells a great story about a huge business opportunity he had that involved flying to New York. Since he was paying for the whole trip, he tried to save $100 by taking public transportation instead of getting a cab once he arrived at the airport. To cut a long story short, he didn't make the appointment on time, the company was not willing to put the group of decision makers in a room again for him, and he lost his chance to make a lot of money.

A couple of years ago I spent a significant amount of money on attending a national convention where I wanted to make connections that would ultimately help me grow my business. It proved to be a turning point experience - huge. Only after I read the Beckwith point did it occur to me that the investment I made must have been one reason why I got such a favorable response from people at the convention. You don't travel half way across the country when you're desperate to put food on the table. My confidence in myself helped others 'buy' me.

Action Plan:
How can you do the same?
Is it education, a specific skill, a better website or finding the right mentor or coach? As Harv T Eker points out, poor people doubt their abilities and ask "what if it doesn't work?" Rich people say "I'll make my investment work because I have faith in my abilities." The Stanford Brain Institute has found that the average person uses about 2% of his or her brain's capacity.
Are you fulfilling your potential?

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