Weekly Quote

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" may be the book that has had the single biggest impact on how I live my life. The quote above is habit number 5 and an important lesson for sales people in particular. In observing calls I see far too many reps who jump into their "pitch" without even a basic understanding of the prospects business or their personality. This almost always ends in failure. Reps who start by asking questions and talking to the customer about their situation have a much higher rate of success. By seeking to understand others first, we can get our point across in terms they can clearly understand when it is our turn to speak. This understanding makes it possible for us to propose solutions to real problems rather than "pitching" answers to the problems we imagine they may have.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim B