I got myself into a bit of a sticky situation with a client this week. Rather than taking you through the whole interaction, I want to share my reflection on the call and what I would have done differently.
If you re-read that first paragraph from the lens of a buyer, you might be able to see where I went wrong during this call – I kept saying “I” over and over again. “I would like…”, “I think we should…”, and “I have done…” were the first words coming out of my mouth each time my client stopped talking during this call, so much so that the only reason I feel I’m able to reflect on this call is because my client called me out for it.
Now, luckily for me, I have built really good rapport with this client over the past year and a half to a point that I sometimes refer to them as a friend when introducing them to colleagues of mine. Had this been a prospect I was working with, I’d fully expect them to end the call right then and there and to never hear from them again. What they said, however, was extremely insightful: “I don’t care what you want to do, I care about what’s best for me.”
They are right. Prospects and clients alike do not care what your motivations are or what you think will work if they don’t also believe that it will work for them. I had forgotten to sell my idea and instead tried to get him to see it my way without giving him any reasons to believe that my way would work other than some charisma and confidence. In this situation, they wanted to see best practices, or strategies that had worked for other clients of mine similar to theirs, and the tangible results from those best practices.
You see, I thought that I had built so much rapport with this client that I could ignore the sales process and still easily reach my desired outcome. Instead, what I found is that there are 5 questions that clients answer to themselves not only when they decide to buy for the first time, but continue to re-evaluate as time goes on:
- Do I like you?
- Do you listen to me?
- Do you make me feel important?
- Do you get me and my problems?
- Do I trust and believe you?
The price we pay for overlooking our client’s perspective extends beyond immediate lost deals—it impacts trust, relationships, and the overall growth of the business. All too often, I get caught up in my pitch, product features, and quota, neglecting the very essence of a successful sale—the client. What this call reminded me of, however, was that to ensure sustained success, I must continue to improve my active listening, empathy, and client engagement skills. Failing to take a client-first approach to my sales calls leads to a few different things, I believe:
- Perceived Self-Centeredness: Discussing personal motivations might come across as self-centered or pushy. Clients may interpret it as the salesperson trying to meet their own targets or goals, rather than genuinely helping the client solve their problems.
- Loss of Credibility: Clients value authenticity and transparency. If a salesperson talks about their motivations in a way that seems insincere or disconnected from the client’s needs, it can erode trust and credibility. Clients may question the salesperson’s true intentions.
- Diminished Empathy: Effective salespeople show empathy and actively listen to the client’s needs. Talking about personal motivations could make the client feel unheard or dismissed, potentially damaging the relationship.
Remember, the goal is to create an open and collaborative dialogue that focuses on the client’s needs, challenges, and goals. This call prompted me to revisit my questions vault to remember some questions that not only shows that I’m actively listening but also demonstrates my commitment to understanding and addressing their unique situation. Likewise, centering yourself around questions like these and a mindset that puts your client’s needs first will put you in a position where clients are more likely to answer yes to those five questions clients continue to ask themselves about us.
- “It sounds like [repeat their concern or goal]. Am I understanding that correctly?”
- “I’m here to listen and help. What specifically would you like to achieve?”
- “I’m really interested in learning more about your thoughts on this topic. Could you expand on that?”
- “Let me summarize what I’ve heard so far to make sure I’m on the same page…”
- “Your insights are crucial in guiding our approach. How do you think we could work together to overcome this challenge?”
I hope you found this reflection valuable, I’ll certainly be keeping this top of mind as I charge into a new week filled with new opportunities.
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