A little over 13 years ago, I made a move from Seattle to the small resort town in the mountains where I live now, to run the marketing department of the ski resort. I got here in mid-November, way too late in the ski season cycle to be jumping into my marketing job. Ski season would start in a few weeks, and I didn’t have the luxury of Summer prep time. On top of that, I had culture shock moving from the city to the small town, and I was largely… alone.
I was also “fresh meat” in town. Pardon my sounding full of myself, but let’s be real, a single girl moving to the a mountain town, and well, options began to reveal themselves to me fairly quickly.
I wasn’t in a rush, though, as I had several other things on my mind such as succeeding in my job and settling into my new home without the added dynamics of creating “a history” right off the bat. (A beautiful benefit of living in a new town: No exes to avoid at parties)
Nevertheless, I did end up on a third (sort of) date at P’s home. He was making me dinner. I say “sort of” because, as I mentioned, I wasn’t in the market; I was just spending time with someone. But I arrived, and for some reason, when I walked in the door, I felt comfortable enough to let loose my emotional backup from the past month which means, I landed face down on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace, pretty much sobbing like a baby. If you follow my blog, you’re beginning to realize this is something I do.
And you know what P did? He sat on the floor beside me with the palm of his hand on my back and let it ride…. he encouraged me to keep talking and just listened. He didn’t try to fix or change things; he didn’t judge or criticize. He just listened and empathized.
Of course, neither of us was thinking of such things at the time, but let’s just say, eventually, P closed the deal. He landed the girl (and I landed the guy) and we’ve been happily ever after since.
I tell you this story because I agree with Jack Vincent that a sale is a love affair (minus the happy ending). Want to win the dream client or customer? Treat it like a love affair (and I find myself compelled to repeat: without the same happy ending.)
We are all in sales in one way or another – we have to close deals, win more business, or influence people. Jack’s book is on sale today and it’s going to help us approach our sales process differently.
If we look at my story through Jack’s lens, here is what happened. Patrick listened. He understood my problems and my challenges. He knew better than to rush me into anything. He stayed in tune, made me feel totally comfortable, which is why I shared what I did, and he genuinely cared.
Every single deal is different and has extenuating circumstances that need to be accounted for. It’s up to us to know how to ask the right questions to gain that understanding.
Jack says listening is the greatest app in the sales process and if we approach it in the same way we approach a love affair, we’ll find more loyal and engaged clients and customers than ever before. Because there is more than just closing a deal, there is chemistry, mutual understanding, and a business relationship there that deserves all the work we put into the romantic relationships in our lives.
The book covers all this in detail and things like “But She’s Out of My League” and “Regret is More Painful than Rejection” and “False Assumptions and Shutting Up.” Yes – these are all chapter titles. It’s a fun read and will give you more confidence in both professional and romantic relationships.
He’ll even help you avoid the “friend zone” which is where I was headed at first with our relationship. I just wanted to be friends.
A Sale is a Love Affair makes a great Valentines gift for the colleagues in your life. I’m getting a handful for that purpose.
If you purchase by February 7th, you’ll get:
- Introductory price of $12.00 ($17.00 after Feb 7)
- Bonus 25-minute audio workshop: How To Ask The Right Questions to Engage and Convert Your Prospects. (email your amazon receipt to young love@jackvincent.com
*Full disclaimer: Jack Vincent is a client but this blog post is not part of the arrangement. I wrote it because I am pretty sure you would enjoy this book.
Here’s to the right type of happy endings for the right relationships!
And if you didn’t see it by now, you can get the book here.
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A great perspective, Lisa. You’ve been an asset from Day 1, and you certainly sell and service this client with the loving touch! Thank you, badass coach and dear friend!