About this episode
Let me ask you: What if the biggest thing standing between you and your next closed deal had nothing to do with your product knowledge, your pricing, or your pitch? What if it came down to three simple micro behaviors that most salespeople never bother to master?
I was speaking to a group of students and marketing professionals at BYU-Idaho recently, and this question came up in a great way. We were talking about what actually drives buying decisions, and I shared something I believe with every fiber of my being: your prospect’s emotional experience with you as they walk through their decision journey is a more consistent predictor of outcome than any other variable.
Read that again. Their emotional experience. Not your features. Not your price. Not your killer deck.
People are asking five questions as they go through a decision to buy:
Do I like you?
Do you listen to me?
Do you make me feel important?
Do you understand me?
Can I trust you?
If you can get to yes on all five, you win. And the micro behaviors below are exactly how you do it.
Micro Behavior #1: Read the Room
Authenticity without respect for your audience is arrogance.
I know that sounds blunt, but I mean it. I see salespeople all the time who show up however they want to show up, dressed however they feel like dressing, presenting however they feel comfortable, and then wonder why the deal stalled. Being “authentic” does not mean ignoring your buyer. It means showing up for your buyer.
When I was in outside sales doing field work, I had clothes hanging in my car on a hanger. If I was walking into a company where everyone wore suits, I put on a jacket and a tie. If I was walking into a manufacturing plant full of people in polo shirts, I changed in the parking lot. When I sold in Clemson, South Carolina, I wore a Tiger tie. I’m a Georgia Bulldog, but I was in their house. Showing up in Clemson with a Dawgs tie would have cost me the deal before I ever opened my mouth.
Reading the room is not fake. It is the highest form of respect you can show another person. It says: I see you. I came prepared for you. You matter to me.
That one shift, from showing up for yourself to showing up for your buyer, will change your results immediately.
Micro Behavior #2: Shut Up and Listen
This is the easiest and fastest way to be likable on the planet, and most salespeople still will not do it.
When you give an
