Legendary
Coach John Wooden Would Use This Phrase To Motivate His Teams
Growing up I often heard my dad say; “Be quick, but
don’t hurry.” He was quoting the famous UCLA men’s basketball coach, John
Wooden, who won a record 10 national championships in 12 years. I
would have never guessed it at the time, but this lesson at an early age has
proven foundational for all aspects of my life, especially when it comes to
sales and customer relationships.
These words echo in my mind today as I think about
how my dad tried to impart to my brother and me the value of a
strong work ethic and
persistence. It rankled him to watch a job done poorly just because
someone was lazy and inefficient. He loathed a rushed process, cut
corners, or when people scraped by doing the bare minimum.
Quick Communication Versus
Hurried Responses
Effective communication is
key to customer relationships. It is what makes the difference between going quickly and
hurrying. Responsiveness is good business, but true engagement transcends
a mere reply. Customer communication that wins sales and builds relationships
is more about context than speed. It hinges on providing the answers
customers need when they need it.
Hurrying sacrifices
effectiveness for speed. If your reply doesn’t answer all of the customer’s
questions, it’s not effective. Taking extra time to “get it right” is slower,
but the result is better.
Carl Honore has it right in his book In Praise of Slowness:
“Fast is busy, controlling,
aggressive, hurried, analytical, stressed, superficial,
impatient, active, quantity-over-quality. Slow is the opposite: calm,
careful, receptive, still, intuitive, unhurried, patient, reflective,
quality-over-quantity.”
One Size Does Not Fit All When
It Comes To Sales
I’m not sure who came up with concept
“one-size-fits-all,” but in my opinion it is laughable. The “one size” may be
true, but the “fit” more certainly isn’t. At least, not all the time. Maybe
it’s because I’m 6’8”.
Rushed sales cut corners. They are generic and
devoid of the personal attention that produces long-term, quality customers.
They are the one-size-fits-all approach of the sales world: semi-functional but
not very successful.
By reducing time spent in the sales cycle, it is
difficult to see the unique needs of potential customers — you just don’t have the time.
Sure, sometimes customers need quick solutions, but don’t let false urgency
drive you to eliminate eliminating intentionality.
This is where the quintessential stereotype of the
pushy car salesman is born. No one wants to do business with that guy. His
customers feel like they have lost control. As though suddenly someone else is
in charge of their destiny, someone they neither know nor trust. They don’t run
to him for solutions, they run away because of his high-pressure tactics.
How different would that scenario be if you walked
on the lot and the salesperson asked (and listened!) to what you need in a car,
your budget, and what you are interested in. He shows you the models that you
mention, makes a few recommendations about things you haven’t considered, and
then says, “I’ll be over there, let me know if you have any questions or want
to test drive anything.” The customer gains insight but
is still in control, free from a circling vulture eager to
swoop in for the sale.
Patience Versus Adrenaline Rush
Works When It Comes To Sales
Sales is a hustle irresistible
to adrenaline junkies. And this isn’t all bad. Negotiating and closing a deal brings
built-in satisfaction that preserves your customer’s best interest as well as
your own. But, left unchecked, chasing the adrenaline for its own sake can rush
the deal and produce the opposite result.
Good salespeople understand and distinguish between
the energy they derive from doing a deal well versus a deal that comes from
artificially hustling a customer.
Enter, patience.
In the sales world, one of the hardest virtues to
cultivate is patience. To be content and calm in the waiting. And there is a
lot of waiting: waiting for their response to your proposal; waiting for them
to send the contract back; waiting after you’ve negotiated a final price.
Waiting is agonising but essential. Delayed gratification can be the most
rewarding.
Patience is an important trait in a good salesperson
because Slow Sale methods require the fortitude to stick with the deal.
Patience is especially important during times devoid of an adrenaline rush
when the process of sales can be more excruciating than exciting.
In Sales, Speed Influences
Execution
Going fast on a straight, flat road is easy. In
perfect conditions, acceleration is a safe thrill. But roads, like sales, are
rarely straightforward and predictable. Speed influences how we drive
and how we respond. The faster we go, the more difficult it is to navigate the
road. Our response time is compressed and our margin for error diminishes
exponentially—or completely. Consequences become dire.
How can you slow down the deal to accommodate the
road ahead?
Slowing does not mean stopping. It means improvising
and allowing the geography to dictate the new pace. It allows forward motion
that preserves the integrity of the deal and the sanity of the customer (and
salesperson).
The key is to stay focussed on the destination and
to continually navigate toward the mutually-desired end point.
Creativity Requires Incubation
Do you feel like your best ideas seem to come from
out of nowhere? You know, those moments when you allow your thoughts to wander
in the shower, at the gym, or in the grocery store. Psychologists have coined
it as “creative incubation.” By
slowing down your day and, therefore, your sales process, you can make room for
the possibility of this type of innovation. Slowing down gives you a
steady, tactical method for improving the way you speak and interact with
customers.
None of us are machines. We were not made to hum
along at a constant speed with predictable input matching corresponding
output. As humans, we require ebbs and flows, moments of activity interspersed
with moments of rest, noise punctuated by silence. Quiet is not idle; it
is creativity in formation when it comes to sales.
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