Why does someone select a certain TV show, for example, over dozens of other alternatives?
The knee jerk answer is that he/she “likes” the show. But why? Why does someone “like” the Tonight Show, or Game of Thrones or an NFL game?
The simple but deeper answer is that when a person watches a show she likes, it makes her “feel” good. And as human beings, when we find something, or SOMEONE, that makes us feel good, we tend to seek out that experience again . . . and again.
This is the secret sauce of superstar salespeople, particularly in commodity type sales where there is not much to distinguish between competitive products or services. The products or services may look very much alike, but the salespeople themselves are usually very different. And it’s the salespeople who understand what makes their customers feel good in terms of their relationship, and who leave less empathetic competitors behind.
I like to ask a simple question every time I get off the phone or leave a meeting with a client.
Besides the pure business we discussed, was I able to lift my client’s spirits, even just a little?
If I did, and I consistently do so, the compound interest of goodwill I can generate over time is truly awesome.
