Don’t Let your Authenticity Slow you Down
Nobody likes a pushy salesperson or any other kind of bully for that matter. But there’s a good reason those types of sellers were successful and why they are still emulated.
I just joined a new coworking space, and while introducing myself, someone asked me if I was like Grant Cardone. I told him I wasn't. Though there's a lot that Grant believes in and talks about that is worth paying attention to and emulating, I'm not a big fan of his hyper-aggressive style. Yet for a lot of people, that rise and grind, I'm always on, never shut it down, never say die mentality is fuel for the fire.
It got me thinking... What are the good attributes of salespeople like that? In an era where everybody is your friend because of social media, and we're all kinder, gentler sellers, can we take anything positive away from the 'old school' sales guy?
Of course, we can, and I want to point something out to you before you fall into this trap.
A lot is made these days of authenticity in selling. Larry Levine wrote a best seller about it, and I'm another one of those people touting the effectiveness of being genuine in your communications. It absolutely deepens the connections you're able to make.
What I often see, however, are salespeople who fly that flag in the name of not being assertive and persistent when it comes to making sales calls, especially when it comes to outbound prospecting.
The go-getters that were glorified in the past, the closers who drink all of the coffee, they have a desire to go out and create something for themselves. Yes, perhaps they are a little overzealous at times, but they do. the. work.
In an effort to redefine the way salespeople are perceived in our culture, your first instinct is to do the opposite of what old-school sales guys did. That's an overreach, and it'll just lead to a different set of problems. Instead of demonizing everything about their approach, dig in, analyze, and determine what worked well, what didn't, and why.
I think a lot of people are missing the boat here and confusing 'authentic' with 'passive.' Those two are not synonyms in this sense. If you're really passionate about something, then your passivity should go by the wayside as you look to evangelize that passion. Your passion should be so important to you that you need to talk about it. Your passion will transfer to your prospects and help you make sales. This is not a passive vs. aggressive discussion, but rather one where your authentic passion to help and serve replaces the underhanded tactics from the past.
Just because you don't like outbound prospecting doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be done. If you believe outreach is not authentic, that may just mean you don't want to do it. You have to be honest with yourself.
When you revisit fundamental principles of success, taking responsibility and ownership of your results is always number one on that list. Taking responsibility means picking up the phone instead of waiting for it to ring. It means being proactive with your written communication. It can even mean traveling rather than waiting to respond or to be summoned.
There's nothing inauthentic about taking action. Remind yourself the next time you find yourself hesitating.
Jeff Bajorek
Real. Authentic. Experience.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to sell and being able to. Jeff Bajorek spent over a decade in the field as a top performer. He’s been in your shoes. He knows what it will take. He can help you succeed.
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