The Unsold Mindset by Colin Coggins

Author:Colin Coggins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Be a Teammate, Not Just a Coach

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, just days after the world had been sent home from work in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus, we watched a recording of a Zoom call between a salesperson and a prospect at the request of a client of ours. The client had asked us to help the company’s team cope with the stresses of their new daily routines, which had been profoundly changed by the effects of the virus. The salesperson started the call, introduced himself, and then said something to the prospect we weren’t expecting. “I’m not really sure how to have this conversation, or if we’re even supposed to be having it. I know we both have jobs to do, but this is crazy and a little scary, if I’m being honest! I guess all I’m saying is, this is my first pandemic, and I felt the need to acknowledge how weird it feels to be talking business right now.”

As if the seller’s genuine opening statement wasn’t refreshing enough, the prospect’s response was even more unexpected. With a warm, relieved smile, she said, “Tell me about it, we’re in the same boat. I started this job just a couple of months before COVID hit, and I haven’t even met most of my co-workers yet!” She then uttered five of the most beautiful words a potential customer can say: “We’ll figure it out together.”

Just like that, the typical dynamic of the seller taking control of a conversation, focused on nothing but the close, was flipped on its head. Instead of the usual seller-versus-customer way of thinking, the conversation that followed was rooted in camaraderie and understanding. From that point forward, they spoke about their time in quarantine like two friends. Then, twelve minutes into the call, the prospect took the initiative and cheerfully said, “Well, how about we get down to business so we can keep these jobs we’re complaining about?” They both laughed and went on to have a great conversation from the same side of the table, even though they weren’t even in the same state, let alone the same room.

As we compared this exchange to other examples we’d seen of sellers and prospects coming together in a united front, we realized we had discovered another key to the success, and happiness, of people who sell with an Unsold Mindset: They see themselves and the people they’re selling to as members of the same team.

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