Sales is often seen as a cut-throat and competitive profession, where the only thing that matters is closing the deal and making money. But I believe that there is another way to approach sales, one that is based on kindness, empathy, and trust. A way that not only benefits the customers but also the salespeople and the companies they work for.
Kindness is not a weakness, but a strength. It is not a sign of naivety but of wisdom. It is not a waste of time, but a valuable investment. Kindness can help you build rapport, establish credibility, and create loyalty with your prospects and customers. Kindness can also help you differentiate yourself from the crowd, stand out from the noise, and make a lasting impression.
How can you practice kindness in sales? Here are some tips:
- Listen more than you talk.?One of the most basic and powerful ways to show kindness is to listen attentively and respectfully to what your customers have to say. Don’t interrupt them, don’t judge them, don’t assume you know what they need. Just listen and try to understand their situation, their challenges, their goals, and their emotions.
- Ask open-ended questions.?Another way to show kindness is to ask questions that invite your customers to share more about themselves and their needs. Don’t just ask yes or no questions, or questions that lead to a specific answer. Ask questions that encourage them to elaborate, explain, and express their opinions and feelings. This will help you learn more about them and show them that you care.
- Be honest and transparent.?A third way to show kindness is, to be honest and transparent with your customers. Don’t lie, exaggerate, or hide anything from them. Don’t make promises you can’t keep or offer solutions you can’t deliver. Be upfront about your product’s features, benefits, limitations, and pricing. Be clear about your expectations and responsibilities. Be respectful of your customer’s time and budget.
- Provide value and support.?A fourth way to show kindness is to provide value and support to your customers throughout the sales process and beyond. Don’t just focus on selling your product or service, but also on helping your customer solve their problem or achieve their goal. Provide useful information, resources, tips, and advice that can help them make an informed decision. Follow up with them after the sale to ensure their satisfaction and address any issues or concerns they may have.
By following these tips, you can practice kindness in sales and reap the benefits of happier customers, higher retention rates, more referrals, and a better reputation.
Kindness is not only good for your soul but also for your business.
AI wrote this article and it generated the picture in the headline based on my prompt.
UKI & Nordics Media and Carrier at Akamai Technologies | Leading Managed Services and Cloud Computing Professional
1 年It reverberates wonderfully, but I dont think it can replace your evolving intuition, subjectivity and fresh insight = truly human stuff.
Pretty wild…thanks for sharing. To be clear…AI will never take the place of you Luca :)
Manager.Senior.Customer Success - EMEA at Akamai Technologies
1 年Great post LucAI. It probably saved you time. But once the AI has done the output the human can add/enhance/nuance. Still needs soul.
Revenue-driven Marketing Leader | Brand Builder | Hands-on Doer and Mentor
1 年Love it, but Luca, you look nothing like this image.
It’s all about the execution, isn’t it? ??