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To Get More You Need To Let Go #513
Today I would like to do an experiment and try something different. This is something that I’ve been noodling about the last few weeks and since The Tao Te Ching is founded on change and as we know change is the only constant in life it feels right to make a change. Today I;d like to read chapter 46 of the Tao Te Ching, share a story about Pat and Chris, and then review how the chapter applies to sales. I think it will be fun to share with readers an actual chapter in the Tao Te Ching, of course in English and not Chinese. I don;t want to go too far. You might find it interesting to see how the actual text applies to selling, and life. Let’s give this a try and see how it goes. Today’s topic is how knowledge is gained by learning new things, yet master selling is about letting go of learning and being the flow. A paradox right? Taoism is filled with them.
Today’s Chapter: 46
Those who seek knowledge,
collect something every day.
Those who seek the Tao
let go of something every day.
Less and less do you need to force things.
In time you reach non-action,
and when you arrive there is nothing that you can’t do.
Never take over the world to fix it.
Those who want to fix it
are not fit to take over the world.
Today’s Story
Chris had assembled quite a collection of books that teach sales. Some focused on closing, others cold calling, and one book was nothing but a collection of objection handling techniques. Studying the books was like drinking from a fire hose and it was more than anyone could digest. Pat could see Chris’s frustration.
Pat said, “Wow you’ve really gone to school to learn selling. I commend your work ethic but it seems like you’re getting stuck. What’s going on?”
Chris nodded, “It’s gotten to the point I can’t keep it all straight. It’s all a jumble of scripts and techniques.”
Pat smiled. “I know where you’re coming from. I was there once earlier in my career. When you’re new every day you add more to your skill-set. But in time you realize selling is simpler than what the books tell you. For example, what’s the first thing you say to an unqualified lead?”
Chris quickly responded, “You ask them about their most urgent need and listen to how they answer”. “Eureka” said Pat, “that’s exactly right. Now is the time for you to let go of the techniques of sales and intond enter the zone where effortless selling happens under it’s own power. Drop the jumble and it will happen on it’s own.”
Take Action Quote
When first learning sales, each day you grow your knowledge. But in the practice of master selling, each day something is dropped. Less and less you find the desire to force things, until finally you arrive at the “no close, close.” This is when mechanical processes and canned scripts fade away, customers talk themselves into buying, and deals happen on their own. Now you can let it go, do what feels right, and to your astonishment, sales just happen.
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How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com
I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discussed all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most importantly the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it.
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