Simon Sinek Advice on Sales

Simon has devoted his life to inspiring others through optimism and practical knowledge. With multiple published books, media platforms, and the founding of The Optimism Company, Simon has established himself as a international visionary aiming to make the world and the people in it better.

In the attached video, Simon shares a view he has on sales. He makes an analogy between dating and sales that sheds light on the correct approach to selling. His main point tells us that people buy into your cause much more than your success. When you have a purpose and strong beliefs driving what you are doing as a business, this establishes common ground that is a catalyst for trust. This trust is then the foundation for genuine relationships, paving the way for a potential closing. On the other hand, when the “typical” salesperson leads with the company’s success and statistics there is a tendency to overshare and come across as pushy. To avoid this, it is important to apply David Mattson’s core concept – “never answer an unasked question”. The fault with not obeying this concept is the deflection from the customer’s needs and pain points onto yourself as the salesperson.

Simon’s analogy also strongly relates to Daniel Pink’s concept of attunement. When holding power over someone through meaningless statistics, the customer may not feel compelled to open up. As the salesperson, it is imperative to balance empathy and perspective taking as well as reading the dynamic of the potential customer. These strategies all working together help the salesperson attune to the needs of the customer as the first priority. Once this is established, then it is warranted to convince the customer why you would be the best person for the job.

When approaching sales, it could help to think of Simon’s analogy to conceptualize your approach. Leading with your purpose and listening closely to the customer allows you to build relationships that establishes trust along the way.