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Where to start on the value of being yourself? Shall we point out that setting yourself apart from your competition helps you succeed? Shall we describe how the most successful sales reps find prospects they can work with over the long term? Shall we make fun of ourselves for using the word "shall"? Here are some thoughts on the power of personality. (Don't worry, you've got one.) Say What? One of the things that undermines marketing and sales success is that people try to sound "professional." Take Rachel, for example. She's new to sales and sounds very young on the phone. She sells copiers. To sound "professional" she carefully asks prospects, "Do you outsource your copy needs?" Unfortunately, when you use words you wouldn't normally use you create a bunch of problems for yourself. First of all, there's an internal disconnect. This will make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which isn't helpful. Secondly, the people who hear those words also hear that something is not quite right. Their defense mechanisms automatically go up, just a bit, and that's not helpful, either. And, third, you end up sounding just like every other sales rep who called on this prospect in the last 30 days. Think that's going to spark interest? Back to Rachel, the copier salesperson. If she were to use her normal language, she'd ask prospects, "Do you use outside copy services?" So that's what Rachel should ask. Using her own words will prevent that disconnect, plus she'll be just a little bit different from the other salespeople calling. Finding Credible Prospects Ah, but our friend Rachel is worried about sounding young-especially since she is. Won't sounding young make her seem less credible so she'll lose sales? Well, (A) sounding young has nothing to do with credibility. And (B) credibility is a two-way street. Remember what makes a prospect a "hot" prospect:
The same goes for prospects who don't like the kind of car you drive or the fact that you have kids; think badly of you because you never finished college; or turn you away because you're using a paper calendar instead of a PDA-or visa versa. Personality and Sales Part of what people "buy" is indeed a relationship with the salesperson. A fit between personalities is part of the overall business fit. You shouldn't force that any more than you'd force other parts of the business fit. If you let your personality shine through, you're much more likely to find the prospects with the best fit. These will also be the clients who refer you to new business, stick around for the long term, and tell your boss what a great job you're doing. When "Yourself" is a Bad Fit Most of us have a range of personal/professional styles that we use quite comfortably. For example, we act a little bit differently when running a meeting with clients, than we do when participating in a meeting with our peers. This broad range means it's rare to see an outright clash between who you are, and most prospects in your market. However, if this happens, first try to find it within yourself to have that good fit. Sometimes it's a matter of slowly moving to a less-formal style as you get to know prospects and clients. You may also find that using a new personal style feels wrong just because it is new. Give yourself time to get through the learning curve. But if you can't make it work, go find a job that does fit! When to Keep "Yourself" Quiet There is one aspect of ourselves that is best kept out of the public eye and that is the little voice in your head that says, "You can't." Many "negative" personal attributes are only negative when you dwell on them as such. Remember Rachel, who was worried she sounds young? The more she talks about her youth as a deficit, the more likely others will view it that way, too. Even the most self-confident people occasionally experience self-doubt. However, they keep doubt's power to a minimum by giving it as little attention as possible. Using Tools There are a lot of tools out there that seek to define personality styles and provide tips on working with each style. For example, one tool describes "driver" and "amiable" styles, to name just a couple terms you may have heard. These tools can be very useful when working with clients (and co-workers) over the long term. However, be warned that these tools are not useful in prospecting, including telemarketing. You don't have enough time with each prospect to analyze the style-type. In addition, trying to do such analysis misses the whole point: You're not trying to persuade each and every prospect to buy from you, you're looking for qualified prospects. Can You Take This Too Far? The short answer is "yes," and the long answer will come with experience, some learned the traditional hard way. Take Harry, for example. Harry is a financial advisor. After he read the voicemail section in "I'd Rather Have a Root Canal Than do Cold Calling!" he decided to spiff-up his outgoing message. He asked me to critique it so I dialed his number. This is what I heard: "This is Harry Jones, financial advisor extraordinaire. At the beep, please leave your name, phone number, credit card number, and expiration date and I'll get back to you shortly." I thought it was terrific! Unfortunately, the elderly client who called right after me wasn't so sure. She called his boss to ask if leaving her credit card info on Harry's voicemail was a good idea or not. (The boss thought not and told Harry to change his message.) In Closing Being yourself helps bolster your credibility, comfort level and ability to stand out in the crowd. Letting that personality shine through also improves your ability to qualify prospects for the best fit on all levels, and establish a strong business rapport. In addition, many studies show that when workers use humor they are more productive and customers are happier. Perhaps most importantly, remember that life-including work-is meant to be enjoyed! |