Chesterton was Right


Good morning Reader,

Who is Chesterton you ask? And what was he right about?

He was an Author who wrote many different books, stories and novels, and who was known for many different quotes.

This one was his best one though I think and its so, so relevant to those who sell. We should take note.

I want to use today’s email to explain more what this quote means, and to talk about the key emotional sales intelligence trait that you MUST master if you want to become incredibly successful at selling.

There are 5 of these traits as I share in the video below and so I will be using the next 5 weeks of emails to talk about all 5, why they are so important not just for selling but to be successful for life in general.

video preview

Now back to Chesterton 😀

His point is vital.

Too many salespeople focus on the pitch, ensuring that their presentation is right.

They then go into Sales Meetings ready with a deck of 30 slides telling the other side about their company, when they started, how they deliver services etc…

We have all sat through these incredibly boring presentations where a salesperson is droning on and is oblivious to what is happening all around them.

They are not SELF-AWARE.

They do not realise that the other person is completely disinterested. They don’t really care for how long the company has been in business and to hear about customers they work with that are not like them.

Yes, there is some information that they need, but brilliant salespeople spot this.

They realise it is not about them.

Read the Chesterton quote again.

There is no such thing as boring presentations, just disinterested minds.

In other words, the information you are sharing when you are selling is not boring if you know it is of interest to the other person.

And if it's not and you can see they are tuning out from your conversation, then be self-aware to stop this.

What are examples of a disinterested mind?

  • People consistently look at their phones.
  • People looking out of the window or at something else not what is being presented.
  • People start to fidget and sort stuff in their bags or their notebooks.

When you spot these things occurring in a key sales meeting, don’t ignore them. Don’t just carry on and think it will be ok. Be self-aware and take into account the body language and signals that other people are giving you.

If it just happens once then let it go but if it is happening all of the time then stop. Be versatile and ask those in the room to confirm whether what you are covering is of value to them.

Maybe suggest that it's a good time to check that the points being covered are helpful to them (although being honest you should have checked this at the start of the meeting!!) and watch for the reactions they provide. Are they just being polite or do they really mean it when they say they are keen on this subject which you are covering?

Those with great self-awareness save themselves time, energy and emotion. They don’t just listen to words, they are people experts. They spot what people are saying but also what they are not saying.

How can you build self-awareness?

Here are some simple tips to ensure you aren’t one of those people who drone on and on….

  • Go into conversations being curious about the other person. Try and challenge yourself to find one new fact about someone you didn't know. To do that you will have to stop focusing on yourself and focus on someone else.
  • Review past calls or conversations. Who was talking for most of the time? You or the other person? If it's you then maybe ask yourself ‘Am I being self-aware’?
  • Get feedback from others. Ask those closest to you for their honest feedback. Are you aware of things that go on around you? Do they think you are self-aware?
  • Journal down your thoughts. Review the situations around you and that you are involved in. How did they feel? Look back over the past weeks and see if you can spot common issues.
  • Look at your success rate in sales presentations. If the number is lower than you would like or against averages, then maybe ask yourself, "Is that because I talked and presented too much?".

Being self-aware is a sales super skill. It’s a skill that is difficult to learn, but when you do have it, it will give you an unfair advantage over others you compete with.

The next time you want to get the pitch deck out or to try and present the brochure and how great you and your company are, just ask yourself this question.

Is this what they are REALLY interested in hearing more about?

If the answer is no, then rein yourself in and start to use your ears more than your mouth!

Is a lack of self-awareness one of the things that could be causing you to miss your sales targets? Take our scorecard and find out!

Wishing you all a brilliant week ahead.

Until next Saturday, keep smiling and stay focused on becoming a fly on the wall of the brain of your buyer.

James

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James White

The Sales and Business Development newsletter that is targeted at Ambitious Business Owners who sell high value services and who want to drive Sales Growth. I share EVERYTHING you require to LEARN buyer behaviours, ATTRACT more clients and GROW your business in less than 4 minutes per week. Current subscribers gain ideas and insights to save time and implement practical tips to grow their business. Why not join them?

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