I was asked recently what skills are required to be effective in UnSelling. As I contemplated the answer and began to capture the key attributes, I was struck by two things:
1) How different these skills are compared to sales people who operate in traditional selling environments
and
2) How consistent most of these are with fundamental biblical principles
Here’s a short list to get the discussion started and I look forward to your feedback/reactions:
- Courage – mostly because this approach requires that the UnSelling professional be willing to tell the client the whole truth and nothing but the truth and be prepared to talk about the client’s alternatives openly and defenselessly.
- Empathy – to borrow a phrase from Stephen Covey: to “seek first to understand” the client’s perspective and resist the temptation to prematurely prescribe a solution.
- Servant-leadership style – because the notion of ‘just start helping’ requires us to help the client from the start of the first meeting – regardless of whether we have a contract or commitment from the client to do business with us.
- Humility – willing to admit that we don’t have all of the answers but we do have the skills and the commitment to help.
- Effective listener – we were given 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason – to use them proportionately. Asking good questions and then truly listening for the answers are fundamental skills for UnSelling effectively.
- Calm and patience – the more desperate we are to sell the client a solution the less attractive our solution is to the client (sounds like dating, doesn’t it?).
- Honesty – a commitment to share the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it hurts to do so.
- Discernment and Knowledge – the client is far more concerned with their business then they are about the your business. We should both be a student of our client’s challenges, goals and imperatives so that we can help them achieve success.