One of the people Pink had the chance to interview before he began piecing together his views on selling and created his book, was a gal named Gwen. Gwen was one of the leading salespeople for a particular company, and she was making revolutionary advances in sales. When Pink asked her about what qualities the best salespeople have, what did Gwen describe?
Gwen told Pink that the best salespeople are people who are humble. They take the lower power position to let the other person- the customer- lead and sit in the position of power. By doing this, they are able to observe more about their surroundings and have more empathy to the other person. Think about it. When you feel puffed up, or important, you tend to not be thinking about the thoughts, feelings, and preferences of the people in your presence. You’re thinking about yourself and what you have to offer. But, when you take the lower position, the more humble position, you’re going to be focused on the environment around you. How can I serve them? How can I make this person greater? What are they thinking? It completely shifts the focus, and this is what makes the best salesperson. When someone can attune to the people around them like that, they are going to be able to sense and help meet the needs of the customer than someone who isn’t.
BoweryJE22
I love this idea because when the customer feels in power it is also easier to ask the questions. When you come from humility it is a lot easier to put yourself in a position of wanting to be asking questions and hearing the customer talk.
I think that humility benefits every relationship it touches, whether that be platonic, familial, romantic, or in a sales context. The more that you put someone else first, the more that you become a better listener, more inclined to help, all of the things that make a successful salesperson. The character traits that Jesus prescribes for us bring His goodness into all areas of our lives: practicing humility gives us success relationally, especially in terms of sales.