The Big Secret is There is No Big Secret

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”*

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This describes many of the “hot” trends that come and go in sales.

They morph from well-intentioned initiatives into self-perpetuating systems of mediocrity that suck in the unsuspecting. 

They become a racket for experts pushing the latest ill-conceived methodologies that don’t track to how humans make decisions in the real world.

And sellers get sidetracked by promises of the “secret” recipe that will make selling easier. Faster. Better.

However, as the self-made billionaire, Oprah Winfrey, said: 

"The big secret in life is that there is no big secret." 

Despite what you read on LinkedIn or hear on a podcast, there's no big secret to selling well either.

Success in selling always starts at the same point: you, the human seller.

Bringing the real you to your selling. Not the you who’s playing the role of a “salesperson.”

It’s about how you: 

Make a human connection with a buyer. 

Build your credibility and demonstrate your trustworthiness. 

Activate their interest in making a change to achieve a desired business outcome. 

Use your curiosity to help your buyer define the scope of the change they want to make. 

Use your understanding of their situation to help them define the business outcomes they want to achieve by making a change.

Help them define the business case that justifies the change.

Demonstrate leadership and inspire the buyer to take action.

Everyone possesses these basic human competences: connection, curiosity, understanding, helpfulness.

They’re not a secret. 

They are the foundation on which all successful selling is built. 

It just takes work and deliberate practice to use them well enough to help your buyers achieve the outcomes that are most important to them.

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*Eric Hoffer (an American philosopher)