Dancing And Sales
I am taking dance lessons with my wife and we are learning to Tango. Outside of the fact that I think this is perhaps one of the coolest and sexiest dances of all-time and that you cannot find a better way to connect with your significant other, I am also amazed at how similar dancing is to selling. I feel that I am great at selling but I have also given almost 18 years of my life to selling. I am only about 14 dance lessons in so I am not holding myself to the same standards that I do when I go to work.
As the man, I am expected to lead the dance. And, as I improve, I am not just improving myself, I am also improving my wife. As I learn how to lead, it becomes easier for her to follow her steps. As I have greater command of the movements, it becomes easier for both of us to move through our routine.
Now consider the alternative! Imagine me when I was unsure of the direction I wanted to go. Or, what would it be like for my partner if I was unsure of my footing, direction or the next steps. I know, for a fact, it causes lots of problems for the person expected to lead but it creates just as many problems on the person who is expecting YOU to lead.
Now look at what a real sales call looks like - If I look back at the best sales calls or presentations I have ever run, it is much like a dance where both partners are in complete sync. I was expected to lead because I was the one there as the sales person. And, interestingly enough, my client was expecting me to lead them. They were waiting for me to take the lead and start "the dance". I knew my steps, because I was prepared, and I knew where I was taking them. In fact, each question I asked was setting up an answer that lead to another question two or three steps ahead, much like a dancer not only making their current move but thinking about the moves they were going to do two or three steps ahead.
Have you ever danced with someone who did not know what they were doing? Ever dance with someone who was unsure of themselves and their footing? Did it make you nervous? Did it cause you to second guess what they were doing? If you are a lady, did you try and take the lead because you felt you were not being led?
Now think how your prospect feels when you are not leading as a sales person. If you are the seller, it is your job to lead the sales call. If you are confident in your steps, your partner will respond and they will start to move with you. If you are following the right steps and leading your prospect (aka. the buyer) properly, they will start to follow you and their answers and engagement will improve as their confidence in you builds. If you are supposed to be led and you are not being led, how does it feel? If you are supposed to lead and you do not know how to lead, how does it feel? If you client is expecting you to lead and you do not, how do you think they feel?
One of two things should happen: 1) PRACTICE! Dancing requires practice and lots of it! So does sales so ask yourself is you are practicing enough to look like one of the pros on Dancing With The Stars. 2) Go and take dance lessons or conduct a sales meeting at a dance studio - I think it would be a great team building exercise, and I also think it would be a great lesson to teach in that type of setting.