May 10, 2022

It’s Not a Sales Call, it’s a “Best Fit” Conversation

Conversations with prospective clients should not be viewed as “sales calls.”

These conversations shouldn’t even start with a sale in mind.

A better way to frame these conversations is to start out with something like “let’s see if we’re a good fit, and to do that, I need to ask some questions.”

And then ask those questions. Why do you think you need X and Y? What outcomes are you trying to achieve? Why haven’t you tried <fill in the blank>? And so forth.

We are professional 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 providers. We serve. Our mission should be to help others find solutions to their problems. If we make that our focus, we will be seen as a person of value, and, in turn, we will stand out from the crowd.

I love the way Bob Burg and John David Mann put it in their book, 𝘎𝘰-𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦:

“. . . most of us look at sales backward. We may see it as convincing people to do something they don’t want to do. But it isn’t; it’s about learning what people do want to do and helping them do that. Or, we may think it’s about taking advantage of others—while in fact, it’s about giving other people more advantage. But the biggest inversion of all, the great upside-down misconception about sales, is that it is an effort to get something from others. The truth is that sales at its best—that is, at its most effective—is precisely the opposite: it is about giving. Selling is giving: giving time, attention, counsel, education, empathy, and value. In fact, the word sell comes from the Old English word sellan, which means—you guessed it—'to give.’”

Try it. Instead of thinking of prospect meetings as “sales calls,” try thinking of them as “best fit” conversations. Maybe you call them “giving” conversations. You might have another way to frame it. Whatever we call it, though, we should do whatever’s necessary to put ourselves in mindset of genuine service.

 

Image created using Craiyon (Formerly DALL-E Mini)

(This blog post was also posted on LinkedIn.)

©Ray Business Advisors, LLC and John Ray

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About me: I help solo or small professional services firm owners with the confidence and positioning necessary to improve their pricing and change the trajectory of not only their business but their life.

I have a podcast called The Price and Value Journey, which features interviews with industry leaders and audio versions of my blog posts. You can find the podcast on your favorite podcast app.

I also have a book coming out in 2023:  The Price and Value Journey: Raise Your Confidence, Your Value, and Your Prices to Grow Your Business Using The Generosity Mindset.

For more information, go to PriceValueJourney.com