Hello Reader, In the 2000 film What Women Want, Mel Gibson played a smooth-talking ad exec who thought he knew everything about women… That is until an accident gives him a strange new power. At first, he was overwhelmed. Regardless, as a result of this power, he ends up being a better seller. And that’s essentially the entire game in sales. Not pitching harder. Not talking faster. It’s about tuning in to what your buyer is really thinking. Think about how most salespeople operate: They talk about their product. But all of that is rooted in what you want. Your target. And that’s exactly why so many deals stall. No buyer is thinking about your priorities. Because they’re consumed by theirs. “Will this make my life easier?” In What Women Want, Mel Gibson didn’t change who he was, he just changed how he showed up. Now he didn’t always do these in good faith, he had his own hidden agendas. But the point is, he was able to win because he gained a power, which gave him the ability to give women exactly what they wanted. And that’s what you need to do as well. And here are three simple ways to start: 1. Stop listening for answers, start listening for clues. Most salespeople listen to respond. The best listen to understand. “What’s working so well for you right now?” 2. Tune in to what’s not being said. The words are only part of the message.
You don’t need to be a mind-reader, just a focused observer. 3. React to them, not your script. Mel Gibson didn’t hear a woman think, “I’m scared to speak up in meetings,” and respond with, “Well, let me tell you about our new product line, then.” In sales, that might mean slowing down your pitch. Asking more questions. Or just saying: “Can I ask, what’s making you hesitate?”
Getting inside your buyer’s mind isn’t magic. It’s just good sales. You need to tune their world and react with intelligence and care. Just like Mel Gibson, the moment you stop selling and start understanding, everything changes:
Because people don’t buy the best pitch. So here’s your challenge for next week: In every sales call, try to hear what isn’t being said.
And ask yourself: What does this person really want? You may not have Mel Gibson’s powers. Remember:
Have a great weekend. James How would you rate this edition? 🤏🏻 So-So |
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