The Power of Congruency: How to Make the Most of It.
Larry Levine
In a world of empty suits, I’m leading a movement of authenticity, integrity, and trust inside the sales profession
"Most people will talk the talk, few will walk the walk; be amongst the few"
Dr. Steve Maraboli
The above-mentioned quote places emphasis on the difference between those who merely talk about their intentions, plans, or ideals, and those who take action to achieve them.
It encourages people to become part of the minority who turn their words into deeds, by demonstrating integrity and commitment through their actions as opposed to just their words.
In a post-trust world, I ask you to reflect upon the following questions:
Dr. Lance Secretan is a spiritual thought leader, the world’s top authority on inspirational leadership, a trailblazing teacher, advisor and expert on corporate culture. His latest book is Reawakening the Human Spirit.
He once said that authenticity is the “alignment of head, mouth, heart and feet – thinking, saying and doing the same thing consistently.”
My friends, one could additionally say that this is one mighty-fine definition of congruency.
Effective sales professionals consistently match their words with their actions.
In turn, this builds trust and earns them credibility. Trust is earned when you're able to?walk the walk and talk the talk.
Sales professionals use clear and concise language to communicate their vision and beliefs, however; it's their actions that ultimately determine the validity of their words.
Alignment and the congruence of your beliefs, words and actions creates trust.
Trust is the most valuable currency you can earn as a sales professional.
Some of you might be asking yourself, what does congruency have to do with sales? I'm here to inform you that it has everything to do with sales.
When thinking of congruency, let's look no further than to Carl Rogers to help bring this into a sales context. Carl was an American?psychologist?and among the founders of the?humanistic approach?(and?client-centered approach) in?psychology. He was widely considered to be one of the founding fathers of?psychotherapy?research.
In psychology terms, Rogers went on to say, "a therapist should be in a congruent state to best serve their client within the confines of that therapist-client relationship."
Are you carrying yourself in a congruent state to best serve your clients?
Carl Rogers went onto say,
“It means avoiding the temptation to present a facade or hide behind a false mask of professionalism or an attitude of superiority. It’s certainly not simple to achieve such a reality. Being genuine involves the often challenging task of becoming fully acquainted with the flow of experiencing that’s going on within oneself”.
Reflection questions:
Loop all this back into building trusting relationships.
Trust is earned through your actions. Please key on this one... How many of your clients are watching your actions or for that matter your in-actions?
If your actions are not in congruence with what you say, then how legitimate are you through the lens of your clients' eyes?
If you believe that your clients are important to you and you value building meaningful relationships, then you must spend quality time with your clients cementing those relationships.
Congruency isn’t about big actions. It's about the little things.
Congruency leads to connection and deep conversation.
I ask you to think about how salespeople are perceived, now think about what it means to be congruent.
The more you know about yourself the more you grow, plain and simple, yet so difficult.
What makes you tick?
What makes you come alive?
What do you really know about yourself?
CONGRUENCY MATTERS
"Integrity means congruence. Words and behavior match."
Nathaniel Branden
Derived from the Latin word “congruere”, which means ‘to meet’ or ‘to agree’, congruence is the point at which your principles and beliefs align with your thoughts and actions.
Congruency will keep you at the top, especially in a world full of empty suits.
Plain and simple, congruency enhances credibility. Actions not aligning with words creates doubt and erodes trust.
Becoming congruent requires you to personally reflect upon yourself, your actions, your thoughts and how you carry yourself.
This means you must become hyper-vigilant and observant of yourself.
"Integrity is congruence between what you know, what you profess, and what you do."
Nathaniel Branden
Whether it be in your personal life or professional, remaining congruent will be tested.
Think about all the incongruent, mismatched and misaligned moments that happen in any given day, week or month within your working environment.
Often, we do what we are told, and we continue these patterns over and over, repeatedly without giving it much thought. Sounds a bit like sales autopilot to me.
Sales is an emotional rollercoaster. It tugs on our heart and wears on our minds.
However, to become truly fulfilled, we must act from a place of congruency.
To be congruent, who you are, what you say, and what you do must be aligned.
Please follow along with me on this one... Spend any amount of time in sales and you will have been faced with "what is right versus what is wrong" actions and behaviors.
领英推荐
When you find your heart and mind being pulled in opposite directions, or when your deeds collide with your thoughts; your body senses it and you start to experience the effects of incongruence.
Stress, inner conflict and disease thrive when congruence is threatened. I know you all get what I am cooking because we all have experienced it.
E.E. Cummings wrote,
"To be nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."
My challenge to you... With trust and credibility constantly being questioned, you must practice congruency and lead your life in an authentic manner.
WHAT WILL YOU DO NEXT?
Someone who lives in congruence, will carry themselves in direct accordance with their vision, dreams, values, mission, beliefs and goals. They do not waiver from them whatsoever.
Will you be willing to carve out your own unique path paved by a deep understanding of yourself?
The road to self-discovery will unlock a treasure trove of opportunities. This could be one of the single hardest things you do, but the rewards are endless.
Reflect for a moment...
Enhance your congruence by becoming mindful, careful and consciously observant of your words and actions.
To help with becoming congruent, develop the habits of:
Leading with congruency... Amazing things start to happen, and you notice:
When your actions match your values, it gives your clients and future clients the confidence that you lead authentically and act with integrity.
This alignment ensures that your decisions and behaviors are consistent and predictable, making you a reliable sales professional.
This also fosters a strong, positive reputation and enhances your credibility, which is mission critical for long-term success and loyalty.
I will leave you all with something to think about... does your walk consistently match your talk?
Dave Kahle is one of the world's leading sales authorities. He's written twelve books, presented in 47 states and eleven countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine. His book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime, has been recognized by three international entities as "one of the five best English language business books.” Check out his latest book, The Good Book on Business.
SHOW SUMMARY
In this episode of the Selling From the Heart podcast, we dive deep into the essence of authentic salesmanship and effective time management. We feature guest Dave Kahle, a sales expert, who shares invaluable insights on boosting sales through strategic conversations and disciplined habits. Topics include the significance of planning, the power of preparation, and maintaining professionalism in sales. This episode is a goldmine for anyone looking to elevate their sales game in a trust-deficient world.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Preparation is Key: Success in sales heavily relies on thorough preparation. Investing time in understanding your product, researching customers, and planning your interactions can significantly impact your performance.
Time Management: Effective time management is essential. Prioritizing high-potential accounts, setting boundaries, and maintaining a disciplined schedule can lead to immediate improvements in sales results.
Annual and Monthly Planning: Taking time annually to plan and organize your goals, and setting aside monthly reviews to adjust your strategies, helps maintain focus and direction.
Daily and Weekly Organization: Consistently organizing your daily and weekly activities ensures that you stay on track and maximize your productivity.
Respect for the Customer: Viewing your interactions from the customer's perspective and striving to make each engagement valuable builds trust and strengthens relationships.
QUOTES
"Half of your success in sales comes from the work you do when you're not in front of the customer."
"Invest your sales time where it will get the best return on investment."
"Preparation is not just about knowing your product; it's about knowing your customer and planning every interaction thoughtfully."
"In today's world, winging it is no longer an option. Respect your customer's time by being thoroughly prepared."
Learn more about David Kahle:
LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/davekahle/
Learn more about Darrell and Larry:
Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/darrellamy/
Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/larrylevi...
Website: https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/
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Helping C-suite Execs sell 5 figure offers exclusively through LinkedIn content I Ghostwriter I Co founder @ Chimère (3EX Linkedin training for Marketing teams) I Generated +800K in the pipeline for clients.
5 个月I literally wrote that as a comment 5 mins ago - trust is the only currency you need and it never goes out of style... great minds, huh Larry Levine? ??
EMIEPOW (eh-me-pow) changed my life 15+ years ago. Because in each moment, I am deciding..."Priceless or worthless, what's it going to be?" I choose priceless. It's a gift I've been given that I want to share with you.
5 个月M4M.world
International Keynote Speaker| Thought Leader on how to EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY | Best-Selling Author| Publisher of Moments Matter Magazine | #MiracleontheHudson | Known as "Airplane Dave " for Swimming with Navy SEALs
5 个月Larry. I think this was one of the first talks we had. people are looking for authenticity and congruency in the people they work with. are you the same inside a buying process and outside? that is why I always told my clients, I am the guy you call at 2am when all stuff is breaking loose. I'm in it with you and then show my clients that I am in it with them.