IT’S the week after the Valentine’s Day weekend and I’m sure many of you are holding on to sweet memories. On the contrary, there are those who will like to quickly forget their experience.
It must have been an emotional roller coaster for three groups of people: those who had a wonderful date; not so wonderful date; and ‘no show’ dates. Interestingly, the world of sales can be a lot like dating. In fact, selling is like dating.
Here are five lessons you might learn from dating:
1. Finding potential dates
Where do you find the person you potentially want to date? Places or functions where you’re likely to meet your ‘ideal’ type of person. You may find that person in your study group, at a party, night club, church, at mass social/sporting events, at a wedding, or even at a funeral. In some cases, a go-between (a.k.a betweener) hooks you up with your type of date (person), and in some cultural settings, your parents (family) decide who you should date.
As you can see, the sources of meeting a potential date are endless, but the most important thing is for you to carefully define where your type of date (person) is likely to be found. In the same way, sales professionals have a responsibility to generate leads and prospect for potential customers.
The starting point for them is to define their “ideal customer” profile to help narrow down the search. Sales professionals prospect for potential customers by attending all sorts of business, social and sporting events such as business association meeting, rotary club meetings, funerals, golf tournaments and many others for networking purposes.
In some cases, satisfied customers and individuals refer potential customers to sales professionals, not forgetting the role of the organisation to assign a potential customer to pursue because they fit into its growth strategy.
2. Making a good first impression
So let’s assume your networking at a particular event has paid off and you’ve been able to achieve common grounds and agreed to see each other again. The first date comes with its excitement, fear of failure or blowing the opportunity.
A lot of time is spent on your appearance – neat and well pressed shirt/dress, polished shoes as well as the appropriate accessories. You do all the research that needs to be done, and above all, you put up your best performance.
You also make sure you show up early just to impress. Immediately after the date, you get in touch with your boy/girl friends to tell them how “great” or “awful” the date was.
If it the date didn’t go well, you feel devastated, but on the contrary you feel elated if it did go well. A second date means you’re officially dating.
Just like dating, sales professionals have to put in a lot of effort preparing for the first sales call. You experience the same emotions and preparations required in approaching the first date.
After the first call, you call your manager or supervisor to tell him/her how the first call went and whether you’ve agreed a follow-up. A second meeting is great news; a rejection is of course devastating news, but deal with it and bounce back.
3. Show genuine interest in your date
Research shows that the number one “put off” or “peeve hate” for women who are dating is a guy who talks too much about themselves and doesn’t have a listening ear.
Many men in their desire to impress their dates “vomit” on them: dominating 80% of the conversation talking about whom they are, what they own, what they like and all the “I” or “me” talk. They hardly ask their dates questions about their aspirations, needs, desires, what they do etc.
More importantly, they fail to listen to their dates’ aspirations. The result is that of failure to build a mutually beneficial rapport. Selling is just like dating.
The job of sales professionals when they interact with potential customers is to ask questions to establish their needs, aspirations, motives and pain. Listening to and understanding the needs and pain of potential customers allow sales professionals to become successful.
4. Nurturing the relationship with your date
So you are officially dating, right. What do you typically do to keep that relationship going? You nurture it by the frequent late night telephone calls, Whatsapp messages, the little gifts, chocolates, handwritten notes, messages and so on.
Remember the saying: “Out of sight, out of mind.” In the same way, sales professionals will have to nurture their relationship with their prospects with the view of accelerating them through the sales pipeline.
This includes regular face-to-face contacts, invitations to company events, remembering them on their anniversaries, major milestones and many more. These nurturing activities build familiarity and trust in the relationship.
Just think about the relationship you have with your favourite brand through the continuous ad campaigns, promotions, events and other brand activation activities.
5. Proposing to your date when conditions are right
There’s one thing which strikes FEAR in the heart of many men when it comes to dating. And it is the fear of REJECTION.
Think about it, you have spent months dating a guy or lady whom you believe has all the attributes of your perfect partner/spouse. Your date likes you and enjoys your company.
You share the same aspirations and goals; and all the signs point to compatibility. In spite of all the positive signals – body language and words, you are unable to propose.
In the same way, sales professionals have to ultimately ask for the sale when they deal with prospective customers. The end result of every sales process is to close the sale. All you have to do as a sales professional is to ASK! If the answer is YES, that’s good news! If NO, ask why? If there’s no answer to your “why,” it’s a REJECTION. Accept it and move on. GB
The writer is the C.E.O of Salesmark Services. He is also a Sales Consultant, Trainer & Coach
For a FREE Consultation, you can reach him at, E-mail:
