Selling Your Expertise

CHAPTER 3Consistently Client-Focused

Chapter 3: Consistently Client-Focused

A common misperception about gifted rainmakers is that they can sell anything to anyone. Whether the proverbial ice to Alaskan Inuits or a pen to a random person on the street, the subtext is that talented salespeople trick us into paying for things we don't need. Many professionals avoid selling because they feel like it involves manipulating or misleading others. They believe they are doing something to someone as opposed to for someone. When mid-level professionals reach the point in their careers when they are first encouraged to sell, they often feel uneasy and disingenuous. I regularly hear some variation of, “I never had problems connecting with people at social events and conferences, but now I'm uncomfortable talking to people in those settings because, in my mind, I feel like I'm constantly looking for an angle to sell them something. It's no longer a conversation. It feels completely inauthentic.”

The best conversations are those in which we truly bond with the other person. Whether we're chatting about recent events, our plans for the future, personal issues, or any topic in between, when we remain present, attentive, and engaged, we find a way to connect in a natural, unforced way. But when we shift to business development, it seems like these topics might all go out the window. As we feel pressure to find leads and “make something happen,” we begin to force connections and conversations, ...