Honestly Folks

Building relationships requires all concerned to be trustworthy and forthright. This need for everyone to be totally honest runs throughout the entire team on both sides of the relationship. Honesty is easy and builds relationships faster that any other component. The individual that encourages the prospect or client to open up and share the realities is much better positioned than the person that simply skims the surface in order "sell stuff" as if a sale is a victory. A sale is not a victory. A victory is when a client accomplishes their objectives because you honestly helped. Selling is not about selling in the pure sense of the word. Selling is about helping people by putting their interest above anything else and you cannot put the client first if you do not have the truth as a requirement of doing business. The truth does not need any emotional support in order to make an impact. However when someone is not being totally truthful, they will often add the high emotional factor to their statements as if that will somehow make it more believable. Perhaps the client or prospect wants to try something that you know, and can prove, is not in their best interest. You will find yourself in the position of having to tell a client or prospect that your services or products are not a good fit under the circumstances. Don't get into a protracted discussion about how you may be able to make it work for the client or prospect when you know that the percentages are not favorable. Some clients and prospects operate from the premise that they have already made up their mind and you are wasting your time by sharing the facts. Don't argue, let them be and know that "The truth will have to be good enough."