It's Not About You

I meet a lot of people who are trying to sell me something. I also buy a lot of stuff. How I decide where to spend my money and who I'm spending my money with comes down to how the person or company makes me feel during the buying process. As an individual consumer, I have a pretty systematic way of buying things. I make a decision that I need something, I ask around if anyone I know and trust has any recommendations, I research those recommendations and in the course of that research come across other reviews and recommendations from people I've never met. Once my research on the actual product is completed, I look for where to buy. Here is where most of my time is spent. As a buyer, it's all about me.

I meet a lot of people who I am trying to sell something. My selling process is very different from my buying process. I still cherish my personal references and referrals, I still research the companies people refer to me, and in the course of that research, discover like-minded companies and contacts who also might need the services and products I sell. Selling is about creating value and trust. If my client doesn't think what I'm selling provides any value, then they don't need what I'm selling. If my potential client doesn't trust me, then they certainly won't buy from me and they certainly won't refer me to anyone else. This all sounds like basic common sense, but think about your last buying experience or the last time you were being sold on something. How did that person or company make you feel?

We can learn a lot from people who are selling to us and the experiences they are trying to create for us (or themselves). Selling should never be about me. It should be about creating an exceptional experience for my client. When the selling process becomes about me, i make different decisions, I think about different things, and I lose sight of the simple rule that when the client wins, we all win. Remember, it's not about you.

Tell me about your last buying experience - good or bad and how it could have been improved? I enjoy sharing experiences and learning from others, so please leave a comment, tag a friend, or share with your contacts!