Sales Success -- Key #10 Genuine Stewardship

If you want to sell to me, don’t put your interests in front of mine.
It’s that simple.

Most salespeople wrestle with this "whose team am I on?" issue. It's built right into the job description. They must sell, but at the same time they are somehow supposed to be stewards--taking responsibility for their customer's interests.

Some ask themselves, Am I being too pushy? Others wonder from the opposite perspective: Am I forgetting my job? Many go back and forth depending on things like the pressure they are under and how well they get along with the customer.

Self-managing which of your motives is front-of-mind is a skill. The idea is to know and embrace your goals, but in conversation, and even during some of your planning time in advance of conversation, put your noble intention first. Serve. Nature does take its course.

As my grandmother, who didn’t like the way I buttered toast, once said: “Arthur, Arthur, Arthur—when you butter the toast, just butter around the edge; the middle will take care of itself.”