The other day I opened with a dancing story in my daily sales training email and today I am as well.
Now I'm fully aware that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels, which speaks volumes of her talents and abilities.
But Ginger and Fred didn't just show up at 7:58 pm for an 8 O'clock show, pop a nickel in the jukebox, and "figure it out as they went."
(Shooting from the hip is one of The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling.)
I also guarantee you Ginger guided Fred during rehearsals as they choreographed the exact moves they would and WOULD NOT make during their live performances because they were a team.
That diligent practice enabled her talent to be on full, effortless display when Fred lead her around the dance floor.
Do you have that luxury with your prospects?
Do they agree to moves and the routine and the order of your sales dance?
Or are you showing up to a Texas two-step competition wearing a kilt and wooden clogs? (Let me know how that works out fer ya. Oh, and take lots of pictures!)
Professional selling is many things:
- Art
- Science
- Courtship
- Battle
- Strategy
- Positioning
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Influence
- Theater
- Persistence
- Process
- Systems
- Dance
And 50 to 100 more.
It's also teamwork and mentorship.
How many more of those skills do you need to master? How quickly would you like to master them?
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
