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Sales gurus will tell you that the closer you can align your personality to that of your prospects, the more effective you’ll be at creating chemistry, ultimately leading to acquiring more clients.
Some even preach spending your time having your personality profiled through multiple tools to better understand what “type” you are. That is great if you’re looking to make new friends in a social environment.
Personality fit traces back to the broader sales concept of “relationship building,” which predicates your ability to do business with people to the extent to which you get along with them.
The problem is that this approach turns your sales conversations into social conversations, which shifts your sales meeting in the wrong direction.
If your real purpose is to help your prospects see that you’re the right choice for them to solve their problems, but you rely on using relationship-building “skills” to accomplish that purpose, then you will be perceived as operating with an ulterior motive, which is the antithesis of how people operate in genuine relationships.
A genuine business relationship starts after they’re a client, not before.
Consider other sales interactions in which you’re involved from the customer’s side, such as seeing your doctor, attorney or mechanic.
There’s little, if any, “personality fit” embedded within these interactions, yet they happen as a matter of routine.
You don’t need to know these experts personally, any more than they need to know you.
The object of the interaction is for them to assess your problem at a deep level, so you instantly feel you can trust them to solve it.
The sale is a problem-clarity moment
The sales conversation is not a “personality-fit moment” between two peers needing to get along.
It’s a “problem-clarity moment” between an expert and non-expert, where the elimination of a problem is of mutual benefit to both.
Just like it is for you when you see your doctor, attorney or mechanic – your priority is to feel certain that they’ll get your issues solved.
A faux social interaction does not give them that certainty – it gives them uncertainty about your intentions.
And neither does education about your solution.
As a non-expert, your prospect can’t know if your solution will work until after they hire you, not before. They can only assess how much they trust you based on how they feel about your behaviour with them.
Clarify their problem (Don’t “sell”)
Clarifying or “diagnosing” their issues during the sales conversation is the only way to build deep trust, because it demonstrates that:
- You’re an expert on their specific problems and…
- You care enough to explain it to them without trying to sell your solution
You prove your value and build trust when you do a deep-dive into their issues to help them understand their cost-of-inaction (COI).
There’s no need to create a quasi-business relationship (which is a form of “selling”) if you keep your conversation focused on the above.
Shift your sales approach from personality-based to a deep-drive, problem-centric approach.
To learn more about this contrarian trust-based approach to selling, order your complimentary book and consultation below.
Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net worth/lead generation expert for financial advisors. His newest book, “Trust In A Split Second” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide – you can get a Free copy of Ari’s book here and, when you click the “YES” button in the order form, you’ll also receive a complimentary “plug up the holes” lead generation consultation. Ari has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes, INC Magazine and the Financial Review. He is considered a contrarian in the financial services industry and in his book, everything you learned about selling will be turned upside down. No more chasing, no pressure, no closing.
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
