The Problem with Passion
I am a talker. I put the “E” in ENFP, and I genuinely love to connect with people. I am an enthusiastic, energetic person, and that passion comes out in all of my interactions, both personally and professionally. These qualities are powerful assets for any sales professional. They are also a liability.
If you read my last post, you know "sales professionals" gravitate to products and services that they believe genuinely provide value to their prospects. If you're like me, you take it even further and look for things to sell that get you excited and stir up your passionate side. Therein lies the issue. Passion, the very quality that you can help you stand out in a world awash in "salespeople," can also put you right back into that "ick-factor" category.
To my excited, passionate, sales peeps, I come bearing hope. There are practical steps you can take your refine your natural ability and bring some balance into your sales approach.
When I was first starting in sales, I got top marks for my ability to engage and connect with prospects right out of the gate; it's something that has always been easy for me. I also got critiqued. We all have things we need to work a little harder at, and for most sales professionals, it's listening more and talking less, and I am no different. My feedback from mentors, bosses, colleagues, customers, friends, and foes generally boils down to three things:
1. Slow down
2. Listen
3. Pause
You may think, what is so hard about that? Can't you just shut your pie hole for a second? For me, that is not so easy. Remember that passion thing we talk about above, well - sometimes it's hard to slow the train down once it gets rolling. That said, I am a big believer in professional growth. Just because something doesn’t come naturally to you doesn’t mean you can’t work on it.
So to this day, if I am going to have a sales call, I go out of my way to be intentional, so I can set myself up for success (and ensure I don't steamroll my customer). Here are my hacks to ensure I am an active listener on sales calls:
1. Do your research before the call (even if it is 5 minutes before). It will make a big difference. Write down anything of note, so you are ready to bring it up at the right time and stay focused on the call.
2. Grab a pen and some paper (yes, really). I am a verbal processor. When I think of something; it just comes out. An excellent way to manage that is by writing down my thoughts the minute they pop in my head so that I can contribute at the right time (and reduce interruptions).
3. Stick up some Post-it notes (you're not above it, I promise). Visual cues and reminders are powerful. At any time in my office, you might see little reminders that say "SLOW DOWN," "PAUSE," etc. It may look a little silly, but it works.
4. Listen to your calls (it will be ok). Just like an athlete watching replays from the game, you should listen to your calls. Call and meeting recording is out-of-the-box functionality on tools like Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, etc. and as a bonus, video calls are a great way to keep you honest about multi-tasking and staying engaged. Ask your customers if they feel comfortable with you recording the call. If they agree (and most of the time they do), you have the best means to up your game. You can even take it further and ask trusted mentors to listen and provide feedback, as well. You will be amazed at the things you learn and the behaviors you adjust when you hear the playback. And hey, if you can’t stand listening to yourself, probably no one else can either.
To this day, I have to practice active listening; it’s not something that comes naturally to me, and, it never will be. It's a bit counter to my passionate personality, and that is ok. I want my customers to feel heard, acknowledged, and respected. So if that means a little extra effort on my part, that’s fine with me. Everyone has areas they need to work on; it’s ok - it’s human! Use your passion to fuel your critiques into practical change.