Episode #115: Selling Yourself First

Selling yourself first can have two dimensions. One is selling yourself on the product or service, so that the client feels your integrity when you recommend the purchase. The other aspect is that the buyers buy us first and then they buy the product. They are related, because our belief in what we are doing shines through and the client feels they can trust us. Conmen will fluff themselves up, look pretty, be honey tongued and ever so charming. They will make one sale and then have to find a new mark, because they can never go back. I don’t mean this type of “selling yourself”, where it is all skullduggery intended to fleece the buyer. I am referring to the real objective – securing the re-order because the trust has been built.

How can we sell ourselves in an ethical way? We can start with having the client’s interests firmly in the front of our mind. The kokorogame concept or starting with our true intentions, is the basis for all that we do. This concept defines how we approach the client and the sale. Their success is our primary aim because in that success is wrapped up our re-orders, testimonials, positive word of mouth and referrals. The clients can feel if you have your hand in their wallets pulling out cash like a pirate or if you are working hard to make them super successful. We often hear motivational terms like “Ten X” your business but the client wants to hear how you can help to “Ten X” their business.

Sincerity is revealed by the way we conduct the sales call. We are dressed professionally. The smallest details are taken care of, to reinforce “you can trust me to be a quality provider to your company”. That means being on time, every time. It means shoes gleaming, heels properly shed, no food stains on ties or scarves, colour combinations matching, hair neat and tidy, properly shaved, make-up perfectly applied. These days it may mean business suits or something more casual, to match the client’s world. The clothes must fit, not looking like you are wearing your younger siblings gear, that you are too big for.

The way we have done our homework before the call, tells the client a lot about how serious we are about getting the business. Asking low level, basic “duh” questions shows arrogance or stupidity. A classic is “what do you do?”. Clients are not keen on stupid questions.

Bringing valuable information is appreciated by the client. “Ms. Client, we have seen a pricing formula which works very well for our other clients, perhaps this might be of interest to you too?”. Even more impressive is asking insightful questions which cause the client to have an “ah hah” moment. This possibility stimulation is pure gold. For example, “Mr. Client, how do you know if the current pricing is optimum for your business. You have kept the same pricing for a long time and so is there now an option to raise prices and improve profit margins? We have seen companies similar to you raise their prices and see no drop off in demand. I wonder if this might be a possibility for you too?”. We all get into ruts. Insightful questions might trigger thoughts we have not previously considered. This is how salespeople can be useful to buyers, rather than asking, “tell me about your business?”.

Telling the client you can’t help them is real trust building. It sounds ridiculous to tell the client you can’t help them and forego sales. We are talking about the long game here. If what we have isn’t the best thing for the client, then we should never try and slam the square peg into the round hole. Better to tell them that what they want isn’t something we can do and direct them to someone else who can help them. That type of honesty gets remembered. Maybe they will never be our client because we are not a fit for them. However, your good reputation is established within their circle of business contacts. When people ask about you, this non-client will sing your praises as a trustworthy person.

Under promising and over delivering has taken a beating as a sales execution approach. It sounds manipulative, false and deceitful. If we are told that something cannot be delivered by Friday and it promptly arrives on the Monday of the same week, we are happy, but also suspicious. We were told that Friday was the earliest that the delivery could be made and we believed that statement from the salesperson.

It arrives much earlier. Now we realise that they were sandbagging the timing all along. Yes we received the delivery faster, but we also feel we have been lied to. The salesperson has not been transparent with us. If it came late afternoon on the Thursday, well that would be acceptable, we can understand that. But almost a full week early says that either, they were trying to con us or they are disorganised and can’t control their scheduling of work. Be realistic, transparent and honest with clients about the execution of the fulfillment of the order.

Use showmanship wherever you can. I don’t mean a full vaudeville production but illustrate points in a way which are memorable and differentiated. For example, when you are trying to illustrate the difference between where they are now and where they want be, two Rubik’s Cubes can come in handy. One is a convoluted mess of colours and the other is the fully completed version, with all sides showing just one colour. The first one is brought out to demonstrate where they are today and the second one to show where they would like to be. You ask them to describe what is the goal they would like to achieve holding up the completed cube and then ask them to describe the current situation showing the uncompleted cube.

You can ask them the payoff question. The payoff questions is designed to identify what is in it for them with this sale. If things go well do they get promoted, receive a bonus, keep their job, increase their status inside the firm, etc. You set the question up by producing your Harry Potter style magic wand. Holding up the magic wand, you ask “if I was the magic fairy and can give you whatever you wanted, what would the success of this project do for you personally?”. Often Japanese executives are reluctant to talk about themselves and this might encourage them to share some insight into their interests in seeing this project succeed. The point is we are using a different way of plumbing the client’s motivation.

To illustrate the importance of getting support internally for the proposal we could use some of those famous Russian Dolls which fit into each other. We reverse the usual order and begin by just showing the smallest doll. As we describe getting broader support for the project inside the company we keep adding another doll over the top. This visual well represents how decisions are made in Japan following the group signoff format. We might say, “This doll represents you. There are others who will be key decision makers. Who else in the company could we add to generate more support for this project”. They tell us and we add the next doll over the top of the first one. We keep going asking and adding more dolls, as we identify the key decision makers we need to work on. This is just another way of asking who are the key decision makers, but using this technique, we may be able to get more information than normal.

My suggestion here is to use props, word pictures and vivid imagery to illustrate the point you are making. Do it in an individual way so that they will remember you. There are lots of competitors out there, but they will definitely remember your sales call.

Sales has changed with technology. Clients will do a search on us and see what they can find. They will check us out on social media before we meet. Is your main photo one with you and an umbrella infested cocktail, being consumed under your straw hat at the beach or are you in a suit? Are the photos showing up in the posts scenes of you looking professional or you smashed at the party?

Is your on-line personal information a padded out resume, as if you are looking for another job or is it girded with information on how you help businesses to succeed? Are there hundreds of solid articles or posts by you, that talk about key issues in that industry. Posts which have zero propaganda content and which add a lot of objective value instead? Do you look and sound like an industry expert in your field? Is the first impression being created that this person is a serious professional?

Clients want to work with salespeople whose main interests are securing the buyer’s interests. They want to be able to place their trust in others who can help them to succeed. Reliable, pleasant, helpful, honest people are required. To sell that image to the client you have to be all of those things for real. No bait and switch personality types, no “sale’s smile”, no two faces, no obfuscation. What do you stand for? Who are your really serving? Can we believe what you say? Your kokorogamae determines everything. Selling yourself is easy once you put the client’s success before your own. Clients will feel it and they will go for it, because they will recognize they have found someone who wants to partner with them to grow their business. Be that person.