Use the Power of Personal Warmth, Likability, and Patience

I frequently meet young salespeople just starting out in business who think that they have to be pushy, aggressive, and overbearing in order to sell. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. There is a natural tendency when one is just beginning on his or her sales journey to want to get things moving as soon as possible. That’s a natural tendency and a good one to keep. Staying hungry often keeps you financially set. However, there’s a difference between being hungry and enthusiastic and being pushy and overbearing.

There’s a story I’ve heard over the years about two salesmen who go to a networking mixer. One is a senior sales professional and the other one is just starting out. The young salesman looks at the crowd and says, “Wow! Look at all the prospects in there! Let’s run in and get one.” The senior sales professional responds, “I’ve got a better idea.  Why don’t we walk in and get them all?”

This approach reminds me of one of my Ultimate Service Providers, Wendell Hoover of Iron Valley Real Estate. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s been networking with the intent of adding value to others. He does this by allowing his personal warmth and natural likability to shine through. Wendell is patient, not pushy. He’s approachable, not overbearing. There’s a natural comfort around somebody we find likable yet confident in their work.

What about you? Are you presenting yourself as somebody who is warm, likable, and patient? This is not a difficult formula to learn and practice. If you’re getting most of your new customers through your networking efforts, you will do well to put this combination into regular use whenever you are meeting potential prospects and customers.

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” – Ancient African proverb

Let me hear from you.

(This excerpt is taken from Networking and Marketing Mastery III: Turning Contacts into Contracts.) I encourage you to click here to register for the Networking and Marketing Mastery III: Turning Contacts into Contracts seminar on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at Bellomo & Associates in York, PA from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time. 

This seminar is also available for live streaming. 

For your convenience, this same content is also available on demand, at Romeo Network Online Learning. Click here to watch on demand.