Does Your Agenda Clash With Your Prospect’s Agenda?

Traditional selling has always been about persuasion and creating forward momentum in the sales conversation.

Ironically, your prospects won’t allow you into their world if they sense you’re operating with an agenda.

How can you be genuinely selfless, when you must convert your prospect into a paid client before you can truly help them?

That’s the million dollar question.

Let’s unpack this by examining some of the main misconceptions about authenticity...

Being authentic means proving that you’re a credible advisor

False - you can share all the client success stories you want, but at the end of the day, your prospect can’t know your true worth until they’re on board with you and you’ve solved their problem.

Being authentic means giving value

False - free consulting (providing educational information about your solution pre-sale) can be perceived as persuasion and lowers the perception of your authority.

Being authentic means getting to know your prospect

False - building rapport is interpreted as a form of masking a hidden agenda to make the sale (Stop trying to get to know them, instead, get to know the depth of their issues, they aren’t looking to make new friends with you)

Authenticity in selling is about building trust through demonstrating to your prospect that you understand the depths of their issues.

But you can’t do this through a traditional sales approach.

Contrary to everything you’ve been taught, your prospect doesn’t want to know how you can solve their problem... they want to know if they can trust you to solve it.

Making it a priority to understand their situation shows two important differentiating qualities in the way you operate:

1. You don’t make assumptions or jump to conclusions (you’re not operating with an agenda)

2. You’re ethical (you won’t sell them something unless you’re sure it’s right for them)

Turns out that a diagnostic approach similar to a doctor’s -- where you use your expertise to deliver clarity on their problem, instead of educating them to appreciate your solution -- is how you build this kind of trust.

It’s markedly different from the traditional solution-selling and relationship-building definitions of trust, which are based on proving yourself.

True authenticity is having no expectation of making the sale and no obligation to prove anything.

This enables you to be 100% present with your prospect, leading them to trusting you and allowing you to solve their problems.

To learn more about this trust-building approach to selling, order your complimentary book and consultation below.

Related: Selling Was Never Meant To Be a Game

Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net worth/lead generation expert for financial advisors. His newest book, “Trust In A Split Second” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide – you can get a Free copy of Ari’s book here and, when you click the “YES” button in the order form, you’ll also receive a complimentary “plug up the holes” lead generation consultation.