Use This Strategy to Close An "Impossible" Deal

Summary

This script highlights the importance of two key traits—competency and empathy—for successful leadership and sales. The speaker shares a personal story of car shopping, where a sales professional, Jerrod, uses both his deep knowledge of trucks and his empathy toward the speaker’s husband to build trust. The core message emphasizes that while product knowledge is essential, empathy is what opens the door to relationships and builds lasting trust. The speaker stresses that before people decide what to think about your message, they first form an opinion about you.

Takeaways

• 😀 Competency and empathy are the two most important traits for top leaders and salespeople to influence others.
• 😀 The order of traits matters; empathy must come before competency to build trust effectively.
• 😀 Trust is built on five components: empathy, reliability, competency, integrity, and vulnerability.
• 😀 Empathy is the key to opening doors and establishing initial connections with others.
• 😀 A salesperson’s ability to connect on a personal level, through empathy, can significantly influence a sale.
• 😀 Knowing your product is important, but understanding and connecting with people is even more crucial.
• 😀 People decide what they think of your message based on what they think of you as a person first.
• 😀 Competency in your field (e.g., knowing your product) is essential but secondary to building trust through empathy.
• 😀 The script tells a personal story of a car sale where empathy played a central role in making the sale successful.
• 😀 It’s not just about the product or price; emotional connection and mutual understanding are powerful drivers of success.
• 😀 Leaders and salespeople must lead with empathy, understanding their customers' needs before presenting solutions.

Q & A

What does the Harvard Business Review article 'Connect, Then Lead' emphasize about leadership traits?

The article emphasizes that competency and empathy are the two most important traits for top leaders and salespeople to influence others. The order of these traits matters.

Why is the order of competency and empathy important in leadership?

The order matters because empathy is the key to establishing trust and getting through the door, while competency helps maintain trust once the relationship is established.

What story does the speaker share to illustrate the importance of empathy in leadership?

The speaker shares a story about her husband visiting a car dealership. Despite the intention not to buy anything, the sales person, Jared, used empathy by researching the husband's background, which helped establish trust and led to a productive conversation about their needs.

How did Jared demonstrate competency and empathy in his sales approach?

Jared demonstrated competency by knowing everything about the trucks, but more importantly, he showed empathy by acknowledging the speaker's husband's work with the National Ability Center and discussing autism, which created an immediate personal connection.

What is the main takeaway from the story about Jared and the car dealership?

The main takeaway is that trust is built through empathy first, which opens the door for further discussions, while competency ensures long-term trust. Jared's approach highlights how understanding a person’s background can significantly impact a sales or leadership interaction.

What are the five components that build trust, according to the speaker?

The five components that build trust are empathy, reliability, competency, integrity, and vulnerability.

Which component is most important to get you in the door with others?

Empathy is the most important component to get you in the door. It helps to establish an initial connection and trust.

How does empathy contribute to successful leadership or sales?

Empathy contributes to successful leadership or sales by allowing leaders and salespeople to understand and connect with others on a personal level, which creates a foundation of trust and respect before focusing on the technical or product-related aspects.

What message does the speaker convey about how people perceive a message?

The speaker conveys that before people decide what they think of your message, they decide what they think of you. This emphasizes the importance of establishing personal trust and connection first.

What role does vulnerability play in building trust?

Vulnerability plays a role in building trust by showing authenticity and openness. When leaders or salespeople are vulnerable, it makes them more relatable and trustworthy to others.