Selling that Nurtures vs. Selling that Exploits

“The exploiter’s goal is money, profit; the nurturer’s goal is health – his land’s health, his own health, his own, his family’s, his communities, his country’s. Whereas the exploiter asks of a piece of land only how much and how quickly it can be made to produce, the nurturer asks a question that is much more difficult: What is the carrying capacity? (That is: How much can be taken from it without diminishing it? What can it produce dependably for an infinite amount of time?) …The exploiter typically serves an institution or organization; the nurturer serves land, household, community, place.”

~Wendell Berry

Exploitive selling has been all too common and Nurture Selling all to rare. Profit and commissions are not eliminated as a concern for nurturing salespeople. The nurturing salesperson should expect to have a decent living from their work. But the primary motivation of the nurturing salesperson is to Sell Well not Sell for Wealth. Nurturing salespeople must be excellent at their craft. They must be independent and willing to go against the common culture that has dominated the world of selling for too long.

Ignition - Interview with Wes Schaeffer

Selling is a Calling
Serving is it's Purpose
Questioning is the Process
A Sale may be the Solution

Selling As A Expression of Love - Jason Campbell

The Language of Selling - Part 2

I remember a mentor of mine when I was in real estate correct me on this.  I was having a discussion and I showed him my “hit list” of targeted prospects. 

He said, “Hit list, who wants to be your next hit?”  “These are real people, real families who will be going through one of the most emotional transactions of their life, involving probably the most vital asset they own, their home.  Until this list is considered a list of families that you will help, protect and fight for next, they will not be interested in anything that you have to say.”

That was great advice!

And it wasn’t just a change of words, it was an entirely different philosophy, mindset and emotional approach in every conversation and interaction.  Instead of “pitching” we’re talking.  I was inquiring about their dreams, hopes, fears and worries were.  And listening… then I looked for all sorts of ways that I could help them, not just in their direct real estate needs, but in their lives. 

The by-product of that was that I became a valued and trusted relationship.  They heaped their real estate business on to me and became avid enthusiastic referral advocates. 

When you seek to give, help and assist others, it activates the power and unconscious force of reciprocity.  It goes back to the golden rule that Zig Ziglar taught us.  “You can everything in the world that you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want.”   Don’t just treat this as a clever saying.  Seriously embrace it. 

Look at every relationship you have in your life to discover what their goals and hopes are, what their pain and problems are and how you can help.  That shift of mindset and behavior will transform your sales results.  And, this is a much easier way to sell, a whole lot more fun, way more meaningful and rewarding. 

You aren’t out to sell anyone or anything.  You are out to discover what people need help with.  Then you go out and help them, a service you will be rewarded handsomely in sales revenue.  Your paycheck is a representation of the number of people you have helped.  The more you help, the bigger the number on your check.  If your sales check is small, you are not helping very many people.  If you want to raise the number on the check, raise the number that you help, period.

The Language of Selling - Part 1

Success Magazine has been a favorite of mine for several decades. Darrin Hardy has been the most recent editor and these thoughts really fit with our philosophy here. It is from an interview in the accompanying cd on the February 2011 issue.

The Language of Selling

Evaluate every sales communication touch point in your business and be sure they deliver the effective sales message to optimize all your opportunities.

The language you use in your sales communication is important.  This isn’t really a semantics issue as it is a mindset issue.  How you hold these words in your own mind will change your entire approach to the customer.  Changing the word I to We, Proposal to Agreement, Cost to Value and Time to Opportunity can be helpful. 

I’m going to offer you the change of words that I think could be the biggest change of perspective on how you see, experience and effect sales from this point forward.  This shift could cause you to deliver more value and earn more money than you ever imagined in sales and in every human communication. 

Right now, write down these four letters:

S E L L

Now cross them out…

S E L L

And replace them with these four letters:

H E L P

Instead of selling, focus on helping. 

When you change your perspective from how can I sell them to how can I help them, and truly operate from that mindset, the floodgates of sales revenue will open up to you.