Selling: Who Are You?

In truth, it’s who you are, rather than what you do or what you know, that persuades someone to buy from you. People will choose to do business with you because they like you, relate to you, and trust you.

What traits define "who you are" in the minds of others? Obviously there are many things which define who we are, but the following list is a good place to start.

Have Integrity
Do what you say you’re going to do.
Show up on time
Return phone calls in a timely manner

Care About Others
Do what’s in the best interest of others, even if it doesn’t result in a sale
Add value beyond the value of your products and services
Take an interest in your prospects and your clients as people, not just as business relationships

Have a Professional Appearance
Dress and act professionally, which usually means slightly better than your prospects
Be relatable
Be respectful of people and their time

Have a Positive Attitude
People like to do business with people they like and like being around
Be a positive and optimistic person
Focus on the possibilities and not the obstacles

If a person continually improves in these areas, not only will it cause more people to choose to buy from them, but they will attract more of the kinds of clients they want. Opportunities will seem to "materialize" because of who we are. Plus, you’ll enjoy your business more than ever before.

Most of us could benefit from improving in one or more of the areas mentioned above, but it can be a challenge to achieve that improvement. Often it’s difficult to improve in these areas simply because we’re blind to where and how we could improve. We’re creatures of habit and mostly operate on "autopilot". Additionally, it’s really not about how we see ourselves, but rather how others perceive us. Therefore, trying to make many of the changes necessary is almost impossible. The most effective way to identify areas for improvement is to ask those around us. (Obviously, we need to choose people who want us to succeed and who we trust.)

Once we become aware of those areas we want to change, the next challenge is in actually making those changes. The problem here is that because what we’re trying to change are habits – habits that no longer serve us – we generally aren’t even aware when we behave the way we do. After all, they’re HABITS. So once again, the best way to make the changes that we want is to enlist the help of people around us. Ask those people you trust to point out to you when you fall into those old habits that you want to break. In this way, your attention will be drawn to your actions so you can act with intention rather than by habit or reaction. By getting an objective perspective and then making the changes you want, you’ll be able to accelerate your success, make more money, and stop selling!

Written by Michael Beck, an executive coach, speaker & trainer. He is the nation’s leading expert on recruiting independent sales representatives, and helps executives and managers build and lead productive sales teams. For more information, and to receive his program: "Smart Recruiting Strategies in a Tough Market!" for FREE, please visit: www.XLeaders.com.