Finish Listening

June 27, 2009
38 Comments

(NOTE: This article is written specifically for salespeople and framed in that discussion. However, there is a strong application to everyday relationships, and one should read with the idea of applying this principle in any situation. Got kids? Pay special attention!) This last week I was watching a video shop from an outstanding salesperson in Charlotte, NC. Lorna Wilkinson has a smooth and caring style that is most becoming to prospects. She is the type of person, it seems, with whom you would be quite comfortable sharing your fears and concerns. Lorna does not exude high energy; hers is far from a Richard Simmons approach to a conversation. But there is a positive energy that draws people in. And there was…something else. As I watched the shop I was having a difficult time putting my finger on precisely what made … Read More…

Bare Adequacy

June 20, 2009
21 Comments

Several years ago I read a book by Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi entitled, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. I found it to be a fascinating work on the meeting place of productivity and happiness. A major premise of the book is that there are a whole lot of people who are productive but not happy, and vice versa. One particular point the author made has stuck with me; to this day I think of it often. He stated that one aspect of finding the blend between success and happiness is a trait that he calls “Bare Adequacy”. Paraphrasing, this would suggest that I’m good at what I do, but not that good. I’ve translated this concept into my own language as follows: I’m good at what I do, and people appreciate that. But I am one step away from being … Read More…

Mindset Check, Please

June 13, 2009
2 Comments

Kathy Klinger in Fort Wayne, Indiana this week sent me an outstanding quote from the great Winston Churchill. Check it out: “For myself, I am an optimist. It doesn’t seem to be much use to be anything else.” Let’s analyze. 1) That statement shouldn’t be nearly as profound as it is. The quote demands an “Oh, man!” and a “No duh!” at the same time. How can something so obvious be so profound? It must be (at least for me) that it cuts too close to the bone, that it too often perfectly depicts my faulty thinking. 2) The statement stands alone as an outstanding gut check whenever negative thoughts enter my head. When I negatively pre-judge a prospect that just got out of their car. When I adopt someone else’s negativity as my own. When I buy into the … Read More…

Strategic Discovery

June 12, 2009
2 Comments

In a strong market, the sales process is almost surreal. The conversation is heavily lop-sided; the salesperson does the talking and makes the decisions while the customer just goes with the flow. Sales counselors can seemingly do no wrong. They are in a zone, and they are in control. In fact, when a market is white-hot, customers might purchase homes that do not truly meet their needs just so they do not get left behind. In these cases, sales counselors can sell a home to a customer without really understanding that customer’s needs, wants, and desires. In tough markets, salespeople have a new demand placed on them – they must truly and deeply understand their individual customers. In this more challenging environment, sales professionals cannot get away with making assumptions; they must really get to know and understand the prospect, … Read More…

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