I had the unique opportunity to observe a famous broadway coach, coaching a group of students. Here’s three things that stuck out that relate directly to sales – and what it means to be a trusted advisor.
- Safe environment – the coach spent almost a quarter of the time prepping and creating a safe space. He helped people breathe, relax, and get out any frustrations. He spoke softly, calmly, and held the room with a non-anxious presence.
- No judgement – the coach observed, he didn’t judge. This one is tricky. It’s not that he didn’t see things in the performers that didn’t need improvement, he did, but he held it and observed it. As Tim Gallwey notes, when you remove judgement, “things appear as they are – undistorted.” Then they often fix themselves. And that’s what happened! The students made their own corrections.
- Questions – the coach asked questions like this, “I don’t want to project anything on to you so you tell me what you were thinking during this part?” The students usually knew what was missing and began to self correct. When they didn’t know, he asked them to create images in their minds and then do it again. The improvements were immediate!
What does all this have to do with selling?
Everything….if you want to be a trusted advisor.
- Prospects need to feel safe with you
- Prospects don’t need judgement – they need clarity from simple observations
- Questions that allow your prospect freedom to see and choose make all the difference