Entering their world - the Conversations & lessons Pt. 1

A brief, mental recap of this past month:

Throughout these past few weeks, I've spoken to dozens of market research thought leaders on how their agencies are not only coping with the disruption COVID-19 has caused in their research space, but how they're actually forward-thinking with their methodologies & possible technological needs. To say these conversations have been fun would be an understatement.

Looking at these conversations from a more psychological perspective, I've also realized many things about myself. With a lot of guidance from some very insightful mentors & co-workers, I'm starting to truly understand what it means to be a "good salesperson."

First, a lot of the life lessons & "common sense" qualities of being a human being (to listen, to learn, to be honest, to provide, & to act not solely on MY desires) are just as important in my business discussions as they are in my personal ones. When it comes to connecting & helping people, as well as to be successful in this job, sometimes the best thing you can do is to say that we shouldn't meet next week (oh the horror!!). Now maybe these things are common knowledge to many of you, but the feeling of all of this 'settling' within me is a pretty cool feeling. Hmm....I wonder what grand realization will come next.

Another thought - I'm asking people to connect regarding a video intelligence platform I sell. To some, this immediately insinuates the idea that things will never go back to normal. Finding balance is key here. My goal in every conversation, specifically ones that follow this path, is to genuinely help (to get more specific, do they even NEED help?), not to change their view that virtual research is and will be the new norm. When people do realize the benefit the platform can bring to their work, no shocker here, it's important to really know the product I sell. Getting your foot in the door is the first step (thank you UT communication classes for that nugget); ensuring that it's not only logical to buy right now, but on day one, you're fully aware & in agreement of HOW it's going to help you, is the second critical step.

Moving on, what's a first LinkedIn article without a random fun fact about the author. As all my colleagues well know, I'm a rapper! I've been making music since I was 15, and I'm actually working on my 4th mixtape as I type this. Beyond the fact that I have "I'm a rapper" to use for my fun fact if anyone asks, this hidden talent of mine taught me at an early age how to read the room -- & let's just say, this has never been more clutch than in some of these conversations. You can usually tell if it makes sense to show a product demo by the first 5 minutes of a meeting. In these occurrences, the key here is to listen, listen again, & then listen more. Don't force anything and don't show how to add video to surveys if they aren't running surveys. I know, who would ever do that in their first demo...............

And to my last thought. The world's crazy. It's been crazy. It's even crazier now. Why are friends & family so special? Because they keep it real & they're always there for you. They don't try to sell you a computer when you have $20, and they don't try to sell you a remote without a TV.

Moral of this Tuesday tale, what I've learned at the end of my first month in seat, is to be thoughtful, be yourself & do what makes sense (but leave a little bit of wiggle room). Treat everyone like a friend, & good things will come.

Happy Tuesday,

Matt