Sales Professionals Authentically Prospect To Fuel Consistent Sales Results

"Authenticity is more than speaking; Authenticity is also about doing. Every decision we make says something about who we are."

Simon Sinek

Authenticity, it is one of the biggest challenges for salespeople in a profession riddled with scrupulous, fake and disingenuous sales reps.

In a post trust sales world, authenticity separates sales professionals from sales reps. It separates the heartfelt from the empty hearted.

I encourage all of you to set aside some alone time, grab a pen and paper, then start writing down words these words... credibility, genuine, connect, relate and real. Define each word, think about each word and become consumed with each word.

In order to have an ever-flowing sales funnel, you must build and ever-flowing relationship funnel.

Authentically prospecting is about building real relationships and changing the way people think. You must understand who you are. You must understand your sales purpose and you must understand what you personally bring to the table.

Here lies the issue, and why I believe many in sales struggle with prospecting... they fail to clearly articulate the value they bring to the marketplace because they haven’t spent the time investing in themselves.

"If you're your authentic self, you have no competition"

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE AUTHENTIC?

Authenticity, it's making the conscious choice based on accurate self-knowledge. This means stepping outside the shallow world in which many in sales live. Prospecting is not an easy thing to do. If it was, more of you would be doing it.

Authentically prospecting is a conscious choice.

This lifestyle is not easy. It is the difference between just getting by and making it happen.

Self-reflect for a moment, ask yourself what does it means to lead an authentic prospecting lifestyle?

It's hard work. It's looking right into the mirror, asking tough questions and answering them. You're in charge of your own sales career!

THE BRUTAL FACT

The Edelman Group is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.

On an annual basis, they publish what is known as the Edelman Trust Barometer. Read this report and you will soon find out we live in a world deeply rooted with trust issues.

Pay close attention to the following quote from their 2020 Trust Report,

"People today grant their trust based on two distinct attributes: competence (delivering on promises) and ethical behavior (doing the right thing and working to improve society)."

How synonymous are the words competence and ethical used to describe salespeople?

Are delivering on your promises?

Are you doing the right thing?

Furthermore, take the above quote and then honestly answer... How many of the prospects you work with are skeptical and have low levels of trust? What is worse, how many of your clients are skeptical and have low levels of trust in you?

Skepticism is peaked out at max levels with a majority of you in sales.

Unfortunately, very few of you realize there's some work to be done when it comes to prospecting. Many of you will point fingers and deflect the issue.

Lack of prospecting has hit critical mass for many in sales.

Spend any amount of time in sales and you will hear this... "Sales is a numbers game", "Make more calls", "Turn over some rocks" I want to puke when I hear this!

Quantity is important when it comes to prospecting but so is quality and efficiency.

Quality comes from the behind the scenes work to be able to deliver quantity.

Sales professionals do the hard work to make sure that when they get in front of a prospect, they have an opportunity to truly bring the goods.

They understand their heart is behind the hard work.

AUTHENTIC PROSPECTING

The heart behind prospecting is the quality. A sales professional places heart at the forefront as they truly want to make a difference in the lives of their clients.

It's the fundamental reality that everyone in sales must prospect. Prospecting for new business... we talk about it and measure quantity but how many truly monitor quality?

How many of you place quality at the forefront when prospecting?

"Those who care the most when it comes to prospecting will consistently have food on the business table."

Are you going through the prospecting motions?

How many of you even know what you are prospecting for?

IT IS ABOUT VALUE BEFORE VISIBILITY

A sales professional waves the flag of value before visibility. They weave value into their communication and into their prospecting strategies.

How many understand how to truly weave value into an effective business conversation?

To authentically prospect means to truly understand your values, what your prospect values and incorporate this into an effective business conversation.

Know thy values, know thyself when it comes to authentically prospecting

LONG TERM PROSPECTING VISION

We all want short term results when it comes to prospecting. Many of you get whacked over the head for 30 day and quarterly results but how many of you add in a long-term perspective when it comes to prospecting?

What you fail to do this quarter when it comes to prospecting will show up in your sales results in subsequent quarters.

"Sales reps are consistently inconsistent when it comes to prospecting"

A vast majority of conversations when prospecting will not fit into a short-term window but will someday.

Authentically prospecting means to balance a short-term sales funnel with a longer-term relationship funnel. Not every opportunity will fit into the 30 day or quarterly window. Let's not ignore them but nurture them.

The consummate sales professional knows what it means to balance their relationship funnel alongside their sales funnel. With authenticity and a blend of caring they nurture their relationship funnel with education and insight.

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let out true selves be seen.”

Brene Brown

BE AUTHENTIC AND MEAN IT

Authenticity starts when you set the intention and muster up self-fortitude to be genuine.

You must become keenly aware of what this looks and feels like, along with the willingness to act in accordance with your genuine nature.

In a world full of self-interested salespeople who look at prospects as dollar signs, an authentic sales professional stands out like a shining star.

An authentic sales professional prospects with the mindset of a sales servant. They've developed a how can I help mindset. They have a true burning and genuine desire to help.

Being the real you is scary while prospecting. We need to get real and get honest with ourselves. Take off the 'bravado mask' that hinders you from prospecting. The barrier it's creating will not last forever.

Be the real you, not a prospecting imposter.