Increase Sales, Honestly. In 4 Steps:

Unfortunately, sales can be petty. Based on superficial things like looks, how you speak, where you work, how you dress, titles, etc.

- It’s sales, always has been, and always will be.

There are ways to take advantage of these truths, upping your chances of a sale, while not compromising your morality. People respond to others in predictable ways, but we tend believe lies about what gets the desired responses. 

The following is how I suggest approaching the “superficial” and “surface-level” aspects of sales, NOT what you sell, or how you do it - I have no idea about any of that.

This is about why I believe these "superficial" things can actually be much more than just what clothes you wear, or how cool your email signature is. While I also won’t address how you dress or do your hair, the following should help you make these types of decisions in some small way. I’ll stick to what’s behind these choices:

1. People like to talk. Humans are ‘expressive’ by nature:

Let your prospect tell you, don’t tell them - Ask short questions, and let them "express themselves".

There is a literal, chemical reward in a person’s brain when they “brag” (or, just get to talk about themselves) - Let them.

There are also "literal" rewards for you in this as well, like learning what pain points the prospect really cares about, and what goals he has most immediately, as well as in the long term - and all on a truly personal level. If you let them speak... they will.

2. Show your own humanity and humility: 

People don’t want to work with robots, and the things that make us “all human” are expressed, and observed, through our relatability.

We are all human... Show your prospect that you are a human, and know that they are one too.

“Man, you ever have a morning where your brain just don’t work right?” - Notice the admission of a personal flaw, and intentional bad grammar, expressing one’s occasional mental shortcomings, as a human. This is something we can all relate to. Be willing to embarrass yourself. It’s comforting to enforce the fact that we all make mistakes.

Relate in other ways. Show sympathy and care about the things they say - and that you gave them the space to say, or excitement at others. However, only do so genuinely. Everyone can sense fake emotion. If it doesn’t make you happy when others are, and sad just the same, you need to be reading another post…

3. Stop being fake, exaggerating, and manipulating: 

Stop saying that your company is “innovative”, and performing “digital transformations”… 

You are not a “Social Outreach Coordinator” - you’re a sales person…

People, everyday humans, you and me, with no training - see right through this stuff, and are left with no idea what you do, nor any clue about what you are selling… what your company is capable of, who you are, why you’re doing these things….

- But! They will know that you are “innovative”!!

4. Share your humanity, again... This time through your business:

A decision maker can choose to build their prototype with the help of any of the many manufacturers, who’s reps are constantly prodding him or her on LinkedIn… But, how often can he or she also feel good about choosing that partner? Like they made the right choice morally… 

Appeal to their humanity, and make working with your organization righteous. You might use only recycled materials, or sponsor the local youth softball league. Whatever it is - make them feel like they could be part of it, and let them be part of it. Invite them to speak at an event, or ask them directly to donate, anything to bring them closer to the humanity in it. Not only will their product become a reality, but they’ll have done another good thing in their life while they were at it, by supporting your business and thus, your other charitable work. Even if all they did was work with you.

Leveraging charity for sales isn’t why we support righteous causes, but instead a way to increase that support, your business’s growth, and to have a new chance to work with others to actually do something good - all simultaneously. Again, this only works when it’s honest - we all see through the junk.

Conclusion:

Be more real. Be yourself - and show it. Wear what YOU like, and do your hair YOUR way. Being a unique person with a consistent, interesting way of doing things, will strengthen a prospect’s idea that they should keep listening to you. 

Still, let prospects show themselves even more. You’ll learn so much in the process, and gain even more otherwise. 

People see through the nonsense instantly, even if they don’t even notice it at the time. While looking at a business’s website, no one thinks, “Oh! These guys are ‘forward-thinking’, and ‘disruptive’! These buzzwords have me really, really liking these guys!".

We think, “Okay, okay… where’s what you do?”… and we quickly scroll down.

Be precise. You’re not “global” with an office in Dubois, Pa, and one in Argentina... You are doing “international” business internally - but not “Global” business. That’s dishonest, and when it’s discovered, however minor, it will have a negative impact on levels of trust.

Really, again, and over-and-over again - it is just being honest. But sometimes that takes a true effort and requires an examination of how we act, speak, write and present ourselves in every way. 

Just be genuine.

-Patrick Kernan 9.10.2020

(Images from: https://www.pexels.com/)