have the solution to the problem. Think through the following questions
as you seek to bring more personalization to your story.
- Have you personally benefited from the product or service you sell
(or a similar product or service)? - Is there someone close to you whose story you can tell?
- Other than for a paycheck, why are you doing what you are doing?
How well do you communicate this to your clients?
•What is the greatest intangible, emotional benefit of buying your prod-
uct or service? How well do you communicate those intangibles?
Steve Mikez, a former wholesaler, told me that one of his retail clients
once said to him, “Steve I can’t help but buy from you, you’re so evangelis-
ticabout your products!” Steve was passionate about his products because
he believed they were the best on the market, were right for the times—and
were good enough to use himself.
The bottom line in long-term sales success is that the self-serving sales
professional cannot keep pace in the race with the serving sales professional.
Empathy is the tortoise, and opportunism is the hare. Empathy is the foun-
dational motive that feeds the sales professional’s sense of purpose and per-
sistence in adverse climates and circumstances.
SELLING WITH EQ
- Make a difference in your clients’ lives by taking an interest in their
lives. Be extraordinary by doing the extraordinary. - If you understand your clients’ needs, you will not be easily dissuaded
in your efforts. - Consider the long-term emotional consequences before proposing a
solution. More important than the immediate result is the subsequent
impact on the relationship.
•Empathy is developed by identifying with the plight and problems of
your client and is communicated by personalizing your story.
It’s Not about You 201