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Topic of the Day: Curiosity isn't going to kill anyone

Be passionately curious. I recently finished reading the biography of Albert Einstein. He has nothing directly to do with sales and business of course, and yet there is at least one thing that we should all be reminded of. The explanation that Einstein himself most often gave for his mental accomplishments was his curiosity. As he put it near the end of his life, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.”

One of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the competition and increase your chances of winning more new business is to be genuinely and passionately curious. Seek to understand your prospect's business, their challenges, opportunities and how you MIGHT be able to help them. If nothing else, your questions and dialogue with a prospect will help them clarify what it is they need. What some would call "selling" I call "facilitating." You are facilitating a process, a conversation that has mutual benefit.

You don't have to have all the answers.

Sometimes asking questions (rather than just telling) is an even more effective way to show prospects who you are and what you know. Make sure you are clear about your intent for asking these questions and that you're asking in a way that doesn't make someone defensive or feel like you're leading them towards "The Close." Let them know you're going to ask some specific questions and that your intent is to better undertstand their situation in order to help you both decide IF there is a good fit. Then ask what you want to ask. What are you curious to better understand? Too often we don't ask that next, most important, question. Just ask. Nothing bad is going to happen to you because you ask thoughtful, well-intended questions.

Your questions, ability to listen and genuineness throughout the process will help differentiate you from the competition. It will also help you more quickly weed out prospects that are not a good fit.

Tom Batchelder,
Founding Partner

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Topic of the Day: Curiosity isn't going to kill anyone