Unleashing Courage in Sales

As we have discussed in this series on conscious sales , it is more important to improve your inner position than your outer sales tactics. Sure you can improve your sales numbers with marginal improvements to your style. If you constantly interrupt your prospect, stop it. If you ask leading questions that make the prospect feel trapped, you will lose.?

But a focus on outer sales tactics is not sufficient.?

Sales is a process of connecting with a person with needs, opening yourself to their situation with curiosity, and finally, as we discuss today, offering a recommendation with conviction and courage.?

In this article, we will look at:

1. The origins of weak selling
2. The courage to offer what they need (not what you want)
3. The courage to go big

As always, you can schedule a call with me to discuss your organization's sales process by clicking here .

The origins of weak selling?

Weakness in sales emanates from a self-centered approach.?

While courageous salespeople dedicate themselves to understanding and addressing buyer needs, the weak fixate on personal quotas.?

The courageous salesperson looks at the customer and asks, “What do they need?” not “What do I want?”

The fundamental irony lies in the more one appears needy, the more potential clients tend to withdraw. While we want to be transparent with customers, that openness should still be customer-oriented.?

We are weak when we operate from a scarcity mindset. We worry that a “no” from the prospect will mean that we will never win or earn. So we react to our inner demons with a pressure campaign to close the account before it slips away.?

The weak seller believes that it is on the salesperson to convince the buyer.?

Instead, it is on the buyer to decide for themselves.?

Writing on the Inner Game of Sales for Performance Consultants , Jeffrey Lipsius says, “The customer’s internal decision-making mindset ultimately determines the result of a selling interaction…Ultimately, customers want salespeople to help them make better decisions. This is why they seek out a salesperson.”

In short, weak salespeople focus on themselves. Courageous salespeople help the buyer to make decisions.?

Now let’s look at how you can propose a solution with courage.

The courage to offer what they need (not what you want)

The pinnacle of our sales journey is the proposal phase. Here, courage comes to the fore.

A courageous salesperson isn't driven solely by commissions but is compelled to suggest what genuinely benefits the client—even if it means recommending a competitor's solution.?

This is where we need courage.?

Note that I’m not talking about a mere sales tactic: “Fire the customer and they will want you more!” Various sales methodologies offer some version of that line.?

I’m saying you have to actually tell them the best solution for them.?

Even if it’s not your solution.?

In my article on “How to demo” I offer five steps toward a better product (or service) demo. Step four is to help the customer compare options. You need to show what your solution can do and what it can’t do. By presenting the tradeoffs between your solution and another, you enable the customer to make the decision.?

Don’t be so conceited as to think that your solution is a panacea. The customer has options. They know this and you should admit it out loud to them.?

Courage is being willing to fail.?

If you can look your customer in the eye and tell them that your solution has competitors, I believe they will trust you and want to work with you if their need aligns with what you have.

The courage to go big

It takes courage to suggest alternatives outside your offering, but it also demands boldness to advocate for a premium solution when it aligns with the customer's true needs.?

If you believe your customer needs the Cadillac, you have a moral obligation to sell the Caddy.?

But most salespeople settle for the entry-level sales.

Why?

Because most salespeople have an incentive to play small ball.?

Salespeople make money on transactions.?

In Dubner and Levitt’s behavioral economics classic, Freakonomics , they showed that residential real estate agents sell their own houses for more money than their client’s houses (adjusting for comps). The reason is that a 3% commission on a $1MM house is $30,000, but a 3% commission on a $1.1.MM house is $33,000. While 33>30 it’s not the kind of bump that would make it worth the risk of losing an offer (bird in the hand). So they maximize their expected value by pushing any offer to the seller rather than holding out for top dollar.?

Similarly, a salesperson gets a cut on a sale so their incentive is to go for safe bets instead of a monster deal. They get no commission on lost deals where they overshoot the customer budget.

But this is still about the customer.

What if your customer needs the bigger product?

Again, the courageous must be willing to lose.?

Here we should be prepared to propose and defend the solution that we have connected to their need set. We know that this can cause them to walk or to “wait until the next fiscal year.” But I guarantee you that if you make your case, they will respect you for it. It may extend your sales cycle, but I believe you will have a higher likelihood of closing them because they see that you are invested in solving their problems.?

Again, sales is about meeting the customer's needs and helping them make a decision. Sales is not about maximizing the expected value of your commissions.?

Wrapping up

This series aims to spark contemplation within your sales strategies and beyond. Success in sales, as in life, thrives on genuine, profound interactions. Feel free to share your thoughts by emailing me at [email protected] or leaving a comment here.?

Wishing you unparalleled success in your endeavors.

Stephen