Those Who Care the Most, Sell the Most
How do top performers differentiate themselves?
There is no secret to sales, no silver bullet. But there is a secret ingredient that makes sales much easier to make, and that is caring.
My friend Mareo McCracken is the Chief Revenue Officer at Movemedical and believes, “Those who care the most, sell the most.”
Mareo is someone who embodies what he teaches. I first met him through social media channels and witnessed his positivity and caring. He lives out his caring message.
His new book, Really Care for Them: How Everyone Can Use the Power of Caring to Earn Trust, Grow Sales & Increase Income is a look at sales in a brand new light and shares the fundamentals of building the best possible sales relationships that drive winning outcomes.
What have you noticed differentiates a great salesperson?
The greatest sales professionals want to be great. That is what differentiates them. They care and have a huge desire to be great. There are so many types of great salespeople. They are introverts or extroverts. They can be very soft and passive or more up front. They can be young or old; it doesn’t really matter. What they all have in common though is a few things such as grit, good work ethic, expertise, and the desire to help.
“You don’t need to be a smooth talker.
You don’t have to be good at selling to sell well.
You don’t have to be a salesperson to be great at sales.
You just have to choose to help people.
Just care.”
What I have found is that the common denominator is that the sales reps who care the most, sell the most. If you care, you will develop and show grit. If you care enough, you will be become an expert, you will find a way to help others make positive buying decisions.
What are a few ways to kill sales?
Oh… Let me count the ways…. Pride is number 1.
When you have pride, you think you are better than others. You won’t change because your way works or has worked in the past. You are unteachable. You are right, and everyone else is wrong. Pride also kills relationships. Intentions can be felt.
Other ways include being selfish. Talking too much. Asking manipulative questions. Not asking enough questions. Holding back information. Lying or making stuff up. Acting scared by not making solid recommendations. All of those behaviors are wrong and kill deals.
How do the best sales leaders build trust?
The best leaders truly want to help the people they serve. Often this is called servant leadership. They give trust, so they get trust in return. One of the best ways to build trust is to give—give of your time, give your knowledge, give your resources. Giving helps you build trust.
It is also important that leaders lead with integrity and by example. They must be good listeners and be able to inspire people to see a better tomorrow. This vision is then enabled and encouraged.
Is it possible to teach others to care, to have a better attitude, to practice gratitude? What are some ways to embrace this type of thinking?
Yes. It is very possible. It starts with awareness. Awareness of the desired end state and awareness of the current state. Once awareness is in place, then people who are humble can be shown a better way. That learning can come in many forms from sharing stories, to journaling, to coaching sessions.
If we want others to show gratitude, we must show it first. So sharing appreciation for others helps others feel safe and comfortable in sharing what and who they are grateful for.
In the book, I share a way to teach others how to develop gratitude by breaking up throughout the day:
“Showing gratitude is the number one way to increase happiness. Science says so.
When you are happy, you will perform better, and more people will like you. Emotions are contagious. So if you are happy, you can help others be happy, too. When they are happy and they like you, it is easier to get aligned on goals and objectives.
- Every morning write down five things you are grateful for.
- Every afternoon call one person to tell them why you are thankful for
them.
- Every night write down all the good that happened that day.
If you do these three things every single day, you will become a much better version of yourself.”
As I practice gratitude, I notice more people around me do as well, and every relationship is strengthened.
How do winning salespeople overcome objections and negativity?
The best way to overcome objections is to not treat them as obstacles but as ways to strengthen the relationship and show even more value to your potential partner.
“If you think you need to overcome objections, you are doing it wrong. Solve problems, create solutions, provide new opportunities, empower success. In most sales scenarios, a no is just a chance to prove yourself and help them eventually get what they want anyway.”
Negativity takes time. Time away from thinking and doing what is important. If you are busy helping others, if you are busy working on your goals, then you won’t have time for negativity. Nothing is positive or negative until we assign it meaning. The labeling theory in sociology teaches that we place meaning on every situation, and that label becomes our own personal reality. If we change the labels, we change our lives, and this includes either positive or negative labels.
You encourage everyone to have a personal creed. Why is that? What benefits have you found from this practice?
My creed tells me who I am. What we believe always impacts our actions. A well-thought-out creed allows us to define and decide what we truly believe, and then focus on remembering it by reading it daily. Having a creed is like having constant GPS in your heart and mind. You always know what to do based on how the situation aligns with your creed.
I used to think I lived by my values, by my principles, and really knew myself. Once I developed my creed, though, life got so much clearer. I can work faster and harder and spend more time doing what is important to me. My creed helps me prioritize every part of my day. If something comes up that isn’t aligned with me creed, it doesn’t make it on my schedule.
When you think of those who struggle and consistently fail, are there any specific attributes that cause it?
Failing is always caused by giving up. If we keep going, keep trying, there is no failure.
Temporary failure is caused by lack of caring, lack of knowledge, lack of awareness, and lack of curiosity. Once we figure out what went wrong, take ownership of our own short-term short comings and fix them, we can then find a new path forward, a new way to succeed.
Something I like to say to myself:
“When I fail, I learn. My failures are temporary because my perseverance is permanent. I push forward at all times because I know I can succeed. As I continually believe in myself, my confidence increases.”
What advice would you give to someone who is just accepting their first sales management role?
Managers have to do many things, but coaching is probably the most important.
Study everything you can about your new role.
Learn as much as you can about your team.
Find a mentor. Listen to your mentor.
Learn how to coach. The best sales managers are the best coaches. Coach your team. Then management is easy.
From my experience:
“The best leaders I ever had, cared. The best leaders I ever had, sold me. They showed up, they were present.”
For more information, see Really Care for Them: How Everyone Can Use the Power of Caring to Earn Trust, Grow Sales & Increase Income.
Image Credit: Michael Dziedzic
