Resources Sell Unto Others As You Would Have Them Sell Unto You
If there is one principal to guide the way you sell, this is it. Because the Golden Rule applies to sales as it does to life - maybe even more so, given the general negative perception of salespeople held by the public. A perception too often well-founded on experience.
When working with a sales rep, we oftentimes hold up the figurative mirror and ask them how they would react if someone had treated them in the same manner. It can be surprising how often the rep responds by indicating they would not like it. Well, if you don't like it, what makes you think your prospect will?
Like many solutions, the Golden Rule is simple. But that does not mean it is easy.
The major obstacles to effectively applying the Golden Rule stem from the inherent difficulties in any exercise in self-reflection. You have to objectively remember what occured and be able to consider how your actions were received - the effect, which is not necessarily the same as your intention. The latter is just one example of the greatest challenge sales reps face - seeing the world from the other person's perspective. In a word, empathy. It is not easy to intellectually and emotionally understand how someone else sees the world. It is a skill. Some are born with a stronger innate ability to empathetic, others have to work hard to develop it. But, it is essential to achieving the highest levels of sales performance.
Lastly, you have to honestly evaluate whether that behavior would have been acceptable to you, if the roles were reversed. Self-reflection is rarely easy, and those challenges are why it is often useful to seek assistance with it. Another person can ask probing questions to elicit neglected details and can provide a different perspective on events that is often useful. Individual coaching is one of the most powerful means of getting feedback and expanding your perspective as a sales rep.
For a variety of reasons, coaching is often not readily welcomed or sought out. And unfortunately, many charged with coaching (e.g., sales managers) have never been trained in it - further contributing to the dynamics that lead to avoiding it. If you want to grow as a sales rep, we strongly encourage you to seek out coaching - be it from your manager, a peer, or through a third party. It may be the single best investment you make in your professional development as a sales rep.
Considering the Golden Rule can be useful before, during, and after meeting with prospects. It is an effective guide when planning and strategizing. When you are reflecting on a meeting - especially if it did not go as well as you expected - the Golden Rule can provide insight as to what happened and why. And during a call - when you are not certain of your next move - pause and consider the Golden Rule. Doing so will help you avoid many pitfalls.
"Sell unto others as you would have them sell unto you." Simple and powerful. Try it.
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