FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT: DOES THAT WORK?

What if you’ve been taught, or prefer, to focus your buyer solely on your product or service (solution)? What if you’re not comfortable being a part of the solution—for whatever reason? Maybe you don’t want to be seen as assertive or pushy, or you’re feeling the pressure of not meeting quota; maybe you want to sell more and don’t know how, or you’ve been “beaten up” by your buyers, by the market, by your manager, or by your competition. Maybe you are new to sales or in a new role, or have a new territory with different buyers, or have new solutions to sell. The reason doesn’t matter much. The question is, can you “fake it ‘til you make it” when it comes to confidence and competence, as many well-meaning managers, mentors, and colleagues advise when you’re fighting through the fear, stress, and uncertainty that make up a day in the life of a salesperson?

I think not!

Perhaps it worked in the past, though I doubt it ever really did. It certainly doesn’t work in today’s world, where buyers have too many pressures on their time, resources, and attention to waste them on sellers who are disingenuous. And trust me, they can spot a fake a mile away—sellers who pretend to care, while they haven’t taken the time to understand the buyer; sellers who lack knowledge, misrepresent the impact of their solution, or project uncertainty.

Buyers need sellers who really do care, who really do understand, who really can help them focus on the important information and discard all the rest. They need sellers who show up prepared to work with, and sometimes guide, them through the sales process effectively and efficiently.

But what if you genuinely lack confidence, or perhaps the necessary competence, to be the kind of seller buyers need today? You’ve come to the right place—the rest of this book will introduce you to the skills, tools, and techniques along with best practices and examples that will help you become a competent, valuable resource for your buyers, so you can approach any selling situation with genuine confidence.