In last month’s column I described how a consultative sales approach made it possible for employees who were unaccustomed to functioning as salespeople to be effective in that role.
A consultative sales approach is just as valuable to people who are engaged in work search, whether they have been laid off or have chosen to go out on their own. After all, work search is sales, and many people who find themselves thrown into it feel out of their element.
Yet they can be effective and comfortable in selling themselves if they pattern their work search on a consultative approach rather than aggressively cultivating leads and pushing to close the deal.
The consultative sales approach to work search is a bit like dating. You meet, you talk, you find out what you have in common. As you continue to learn about each other, a connection grows, or it doesn’t. Pretending to be someone you’re not doesn’t work. The goal is to build relationships, not play games.
The goals of the consultative sales approach have nothing to do with pitching, pressuring, and scoring. Its cornerstones are connection, dialogue, and patience.
- Connection is about meeting the another person where they are, rather than imposing your agenda on them. You enter their world respectfully, not forcefully.
- Dialogue is about a balanced exchange in which both parties contribute equally. Information flows in both directions and the conversation is not scripted.
- Patience is about trusting that good things come in unexpected ways when we make connections with a lack of urgency and conscientiously nurture them. You don’t need to push the river because you know it will flow into the sea.
The consultative approach to sales is rooted in values that are easier for most “non-sales” types to get their arms around. For that reason alone it is a better route for work searchers to take.
It has the added advantage of sidestepping two major risks inherent in standard sales practices—rejection and the loss of authenticity.
Consider the following all-too-common scenario. A job searcher aggressively networks to gain access to someone he sees as a “hot prospect.” His driving force is to score—big! The goal is to get the guy on the phone (the way a car salesman gets a customer into the showroom) so he can use his bag of sales tricks to get an offer. After schmoozing about golf, mutual friends, etc. he makes his move. He goes into a monologue pitching his experience and then asks in a folksy, casual way if there is an opening for a guy like him.
For all practical purposes, the conversation is now over. No meaningful dialogue has taken place, and no connection has been made. The guy on the other end of the line hangs up thinking, “Why do I waste my time?”
In the consultative approach, the work seeker sees the opportunity to talk with a potential employer or client, not as a chance to make a sales pitch, but as a two-way conversation to explore mutual benefit. It is the first step in a process.
Consultative sales really isn’t sales at all. It’s marketing. You listen to what the other person needs, and then you talk about how you can help. You become a link to a business resource—yourself—that is interested in meeting those needs.
You may discover that there isn’t a good match between what the person is looking for at the moment and what you have to offer, but that’s not necessarily a “No!” It could be a “not yet.” Whatever happens, you part on equal terms. The door doesn’t slam in your face, and since you are there as a “representative” of You & Company, you aren’t tempted to take it personally.
Some would say this approach takes longer, but picking yourself up after being rejected is pretty time-consuming as well, not to mention the toll it takes on your confidence and your capacity to stay in a work search. Whether you’re presenting yourself as a potential employee, or as a consultant, or a vendor, a strategy that buffers you from rejection is obviously better.
LOSS OF AUTHENTICITY
Less obvious, but just as damaging, is the fact that the traditional sales approach obscures your authentic self, which I believe is your competitive edge in any sales situation.
Adopting a sales persona is like putting on a bulky overcoat. It covers up the lines of the finely tailored clothing underneath, and it’s so awkward you can’t move around in it very well.
If your work search is hampered by an approach that doesn’t fit your true self, you will not be able to present the best of who you are.
And like rejection, compromising your authenticity makes it harder to stay in the process. Whether it’s a garment or a behavior, if it doesn’t fit, you’re going to shed it sooner or later. An approach that isn’t you will ultimately bring your work search to a halt. You will simply stop putting yourself out into the marketplace because it’s uncomfortable.
The consultative sales approach to work search is a bit like dating. You meet, you talk, you find out what you have in common. As you continue to learn about each other, a connection grows, or it doesn’t. Pretending to be someone you’re not doesn’t work. The goal is to build relationships, not play games.
