I was riding with Pat Ryan, my young partner and former boxing captain… back from Notre Dame… and, doing some coaching, on the phone, with three different For Impact followers. Then, a conference call to ‘close’ an Urban Public School System who really needs our help. Not for the first time, I heard the words “You can really SELL.”
I started thinking about that. Why does ‘SALES’ seem so easy for me? Why do people ask us to train them to SELL?
Old Guy brain synapse sparked a thought on Mark McCormick, founder of IMG, who wrote some really good stuff on sales. Then flooded with connections and more synapses to stuff from Tommy Hopkins, Brian Tracy, Frank Sullivan, etc.
I tried to explain to Pat why this felt pretty ‘easy’ for me.
1. I really, really, really believe in whatever I’m selling. I think that becomes pretty obvious to the other party.
2. As cliché as it is, I’m also always looking for the win-win-win. (This was one of McCormick’s big deals.) Call it whatever you want. WIIFM. Abundance mentality. The pie is plenty big. More than enough for everybody.
3. Then, I try to put myself in the other person’s proverbial shoes and try to figure out what will make this really, really simple and easy for them to agree/accept. In effect, ‘Let’s make a deal.’ I’m always trying to work out the ‘deal’ at the highest level. (Again, one of Mark McCormick’s big principles.)
I really, really want the other person to say, “Why wouldn’t we do this?” For me, this is about impact, mitigating risk, huge return-on-investments, etc.
I’ve been told many times about ‘selling ice to Eskimos’. All I really know is that if I can convince myself of the value and benefits and merit of the ‘deal’ (for the other party)… I will work as hard as I can to make that happen… for them.
