Genuine curiosity

The way you sell matters more than what you sell.

Buyers can walk away from an attractive offer if they don’t like the sales approach. High quality and a low price can feel like a bad deal if there isn’t enough trust. In contrast, good quality at a higher price can seem like great value if you’re more confident about the people you’re dealing with.

There are many factors that make up “the way you sell”. One aspect you are in total control of and can change immediately is the level of genuine curiosity you take into conversations.

You change their perception of you and your suggestions when:

• You take time to learn about others and their situation
• They realise you’re open to learning something new and changing your mind
• They see you taking a sincere interest in the problem (or goal) before proposing a solution
• Your focus is on the results you can help them achieve, rather than the benefit you get in return
• It’s clear you’re Interested in the best outcomes for them, even if they don’t go ahead with your suggestions

The alternative is:

• Assuming you know the person, their circumstances and priorities
• Offering a solution before you understand the problem (risk of a mismatch)
• When getting what you want seems to matter more than what they need
• Pushing a round suggestion peg into a square needs hole (leaving gaps around the edges)

These behaviours are free to change. It costs nothing to ask more questions or use the other persons language. No investment is required to change your approach to one of genuine curiosity, but the way it’s perceived by others could be very valuable indeed.  

Perhaps “curiosity killed the cat”, but I’ve never heard of it hurting a salesperson.