OK, we all know somebody; we all have an acquaintance that will not stop talking. He or she will go on & on about guess what? You got it… how great they are. Could be at golf. Could be parenting. Could be sales. Whatever the topic, if you want to know how great they are, just ask them.
The clue? Count the number of times people say the word “I” in a conversation (or email). At some point you feel like asking them, “Excuse me, but did the middle of my sentence interfere with the beginning of yours?” Good thing these people aren’t in Sales, right? Wrong. They are. A lot of salespeople can’t get out of their own way & feel the need to always make it about them.
If you were ridiculously honest with yourself & asked, How many times do I say the word “I” on sales calls? How many times do I write the word “I” in my emails? It’s a painful exercise that will pay off for you (especially if you support a family based on commissions you earn from making sales). You must remember this: IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!
How many people do you know that want to make it about themselves? They talk about what they’ve done, where they’ve been, where they’re going, who they know. Some people trip over themselves to remind you that they are there. It is exhausting!
So, let’s review ways to make it about THEM. It starts with you being curious. With you asking questions. With you being a good listener.
Ask questions like:
- “What did we discuss that caused you to invite us in?”
- “What are some of the problems you are having?”
- “What’s going on here, with you & your business?”
- “What are you looking for?”
- “Why don’t we ask each other some questions & see if we have a fit?”
Say things like:
- “Makes sense.”
- “Sounds interesting.”
- “Appreciate that.”
- “Hmm. . . that sounds tough.”
- “You have given this a lot of thought.”
In emails simply cut out the “I’s”:
- “It can be difficult…”
- “We were discussing…”
- “We’d like to offer…”
- “When can we get together to determine next steps?”
- “When is the best date/time for us to connect?”
Don’t be “that “I” guy”.
