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Six More Taoist Sales Lessons That Make Common Sense #492

This is the podcast where each week we apply an aspect of Taoism to sales. Last week we departed from this structure and surveyed six Taoist sales lessons instead of a single aspect. Each lesson contained common sense practical advice.  This week we’re going to do six more and if you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, that’s OK. These lessons aren’t in any order There is no need to go back before listening to this episode. But I do urge you to listen to it, especially if you’ve found value in this episode. 

As I said these lessons are solid advice that speaks to the art of sales, not just the science. This Taoist advice talks about mindset and intuition and how to approach selling at an instinctive level. Real life is filled with randomness and chaos. No one script or formula can address all possibilities. That’s why I’m a strong proponent of having a mindset that can address all challenges. Frankly, I’m fascinated by these concepts which is why I geek out on Taoism and why I’m excited to share them here on the pod. Listeners say this selling advice is applicable across many levels of life. Why not check out and see if this is true for you too!  

Listen more than you talk 

You’ve probably heard the old saying since God gave us two ears and only one mouth you need to listen more than talk. If everyone’s talking and no one’s listening, there is no communication.  It’s no secret that the world is full of talkers and people trying to sell, convince, joke or even just hear their own voice.  Lao Tzu’s advice is to take a break from the noise and control your desire to be heard. 

You can’t qualify a prospect if you don’t know what they want. You have to give them space to talk which requires strong listening skills. The notion that great talkers make great salespeople is a myth.  It’s just the opposite. Great listeners make great salespeople. 

In the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu said, 

“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”

Be honest with your speech

The reality of a situation may not always be pleasant or attractive. Eloquent or attractive language doesn’t necessarily equate to truthfulness. Yet oftentimes salespeople are loosy goosey with their language and fail to represent their products fairly and honestly. 

The truth can be harsh, uncomfortable, or even ugly. You may not have the best product on the market. But in the long run, you’re not fooling anyone. Buyers know flowery or beautiful language doesn’t guarantee what’s being said is true. Lao Tzu speaks at length about how wise men needn’t prove their point, and those who do are not wise. Buyers who’ve been wronged know this and so will the world given social media. Bad news and bad reviews travel fast.

As Lao Tzu says, 

 “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”

Avoid conflict. But if you need to fight, fight to win.

In the course of any life, there is going to be conflict despite all efforts to de-escalate and compromise. It’s a fact of society that people argue. But be careful who you consider your enemies and how fixed is your view of the argument.  Sometimes sellers see closing a deal as a competition and the buyer is the enemy. Sometimes sellers see their competitors as enemies and sometimes they see their cllegues as enemies who erect barriers that stop their ability to sell. Too often we let our emotions control our actions and not the other way around. 

But if a fight can’t be avoided, Lao Tzu encourages us to let our opponents exhaust themselves with their own hate and anger. Don’t reciprocate with anger. He recognizes that sometimes you do need to compete, fight for your basic rights and survive. But when it comes to such situations, Lao Tzu advises we temper our emotions,

“The best fighter is never angry.”

Stay humble 

Life has its ups and downs. You’ll have wins and losses. This is especially true when it comes to sales. Very few of the prospects that enter your sales funnel will pop out the bottom as closed deals. But you will have your wins and whatever great things you do and however knowledgeable you become, Lao Tzu encourages humility. He says that the truly wise are people who realize how much of life will remain a mystery no matter how much knowledge we accumulate. We call these people lifelong learners.  Lao Tzu said,

“The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.”

Remain patient

We live in a fast-paced world filled with expectations of instant instant gratification. Hungry? Order out for delivery. Achey? Take a pill for relief. Bored? Infinite scroll your latest favorite app. Prospect won’t reply to your email?  Send 10 more. Impatience is the mother of mistakes and the father of stress. 

Nature teaches us that everything is interconnected with everything. It’s folly to expect complex problems to be solved instantly with the flick of a switch. Business deals take time. Decision-makers have many competing issues to contend with.  There is no need to rush. Everything will work out in the end. If the deal is meant to happen, it will. 

Lat Tzu reminds us how given time, the oceans have milled the finest of sand. He says,

“Water is soft, but given time it can cut through the hardest of rock.”

Don’t fear endings

Taoism is a philosophy that seeks a balance of the yin and yang. It urges us to work together with nature and not against it. Nature is a constant cycle of births and deaths, beginnings and endings. We need to accept this. 

Endings can be extremely sad and painful yet from another point of view, things may not be as bad as they seem. As sales professionals in a market economy,  jobs come and go. Mergers and acquisitions are as common sunrises and sunsets. So too are firings and layoffs. These experiences can sadden us, but when we reframe the experience as an opportunity, new possibilities may arise.

Lao Tzu urges us to keep in mind, 

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

With that said if you’re enjoying your job don’t take it for granted. Practice gratitude and thank the heavens. Someday, and that day will come sooner than you think, that job will go away. You don’t own it. All you own is your profession. 

And that’s our six lessons for today. As you can see, these are not prescriptive lessons, The Tao has no recipe or numbered steps that guarantee results.  It is like when Louis Armstrong was asked: What is jazz? He said: “If you have to ask, you don’t know.” But I hope this week you’ve got a feel for it and you’ll be able to apply it to your life and your selling. Or maybe to be more precise, I hope you’re able to allow it to happen in your life and your selling.  Good luck.

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Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

Does something about today’s episode got you thinking? Do you have a question or a comment you’d like to share?

If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat with Pat now.

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Six Taoist Sales Lessons That Make Common Sense #491

Each week the Sales Babble podcast applies the Taoist philosophy to some aspect of sales. We may talk about prospecting, qualifying, or closing, and dig into the details with some practical Taoist examples with little parables involving Pat, Chris, and Lee. This is a topic near to my heart. I started studying Taoism for over over 30 years ago. From my studies, I’ve come to some realizations that I want to share. So this week I’d like to diverge and take a broader view than one topic and instead talk about some Taoist lessons that apply across all aspects of sales, and life too. Here are six Taoist sales lessons that make common sense.

This first lesson is to embrace change.

Change is the one thing that never changes and there is nothing you can do about it. Change is how we measure time and we are all time bound. We see this in the markets all the time. One month a product is hot and easy to sell. And then by the next season, nobody wants it. Some changes happen slowly, some in an instant. Either way, if you accept that nothing remains the same but change,  you’ll live a happier life. As Lao Tzu says,

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow.”

The next lesson is to let go of labels.

Language is a highly useful and fascinating part of human evolution. One of its downsides is the need to categorize and label everything, particularly people. This is easy to do when you’re trying to quickly peg a prospect. Salespeople like to pride themselves on being able to quickly size buyers up. But too often we are wrong and project stereotypes that don’t fit the situation. Plus we like to label ourselves with opinions like “I can’t do this or I’m only good at that.” Lao Tzu urges us to avoid defining and labeling. Approach your life without judging. Accept others for who they are, and accept yourself too. Lao Tzu encourages us to be our authentic selves and not pretend to be some label. Lao Tzu says,

“Those who define themselves can’t know who they really are.”

The next lesson is to stop looking for validation.

Too often we care too much about what other people think. When we abdicate our power to others, they have the ability to control our hot buttons. We lose agency. This can happen when we deal with our bosses, and customers too. Needing the stamp of approval from others can self-sabotage everything you do. Lao Tzu urges everyone to let go of the need for outer approval. He says,

“Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.”

The fourth lesson is to genuinely be generous.

We like to think of ourselves as generous, especially when we think of the things we do for family and friends. You may also go out of your way and help your customers and give a little something extra to loyal clients. But for Lao Tzu, generosity goes beyond sometimes being generous or giving things. It involves a mindset shift from “What will this get me?” to “How can I give in this situation?” It’s not about a “give to get” mindset that will somehow help you make your commission. Lao Tzu emphasizes that giving is actually the best way to receive something more beneficial than possessions or objects. He says,

“The sage does not hoard. The more they help others, the more they benefit themselves. The more they give to others, the more they get for themselves.”

The next lesson is to help others.

The greatest form of generosity and giving is offering your time and energy to others. In my experience, when I’m unsure of what to do next, I move my focus to others and understand their desires, challenges, and fears. It is then that I know what to do. This naturally applies to sales when qualifying prospects to see if we can help, and it applies to closing too, allowing the prospects to make the decision they want to become customers. As a seller, we’re just here to help.

We are social animals and people are happiest when we’re part of something greater than ourselves.
Lao Tzu said,

“The sage has no mind of their own. They are aware of the need to help others. They are good to people who are good. They are good to people who are not good. Virtue is goodness.”

Lastly, make gratitude a daily practice.

Gratitude comes naturally when you start to observe all the thank yous that you say throughout the day. For me that first cup of coffee in the morning is such a joy. It reminds me that to be alive is a miracle. When you feel appreciative of what you have, it creates deep empowerment and peace within you. As sellers be thankful for having a product or service that provides value. Be thankful for your leads, your office, good health, and the confidence to prospect. Lao Tzu reminds us to appreciate that real wealth is in realizing how blessed you already are. He says,

“If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”

And that’s the last lesson for today.

To review the Taoist sales lessons, first embrace change, next, let go of labels, the third is to stop looking for validation in others, next genuinely be generous, the fifth is to always help others, and sixth and last is to make gratitude a daily practice.

Taoism instructs us how to live in harmony with the world and the energy found in it. One of the main ideas is the belief in balancing forces, or yin and yang. Yin and Yang show that everything in the universe is connected and that nothing makes sense in isolation. We see this in the organizations we work in, communities we live in, and the markets we sell in. It’s all connected and it’s all one thing. The sooner we set our narrow sense of self aside and accept this interconnectedness the easier our lives become. These six lessons are only the tip of the iceberg. Next week we’ll cover six more. But for this week, let’s focus on this moment in time.

Support Our Sponsors

Science of Scaling Podcast

Here’s a link to the hot new The Science of Scaling podcast. If you’re looking to grow your business’s revenue and sales, this is the podcast for you. Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

https://link.chtbl.com/tsos?sid=podcast.salesbabble

Pearl Diver

Would you like a super simple way of knowing in detail who’s visiting your website? Pearl Diver does that by sharing details on name, email, phone, address, and business website for anonymous visitors. If they’re looking at you they’re probably qualified.

Check out PearlDiver.io

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

Does something about today’s episode got you thinking? Do you have a question or a comment you’d like to share?

If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat with Pat now.

Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? Leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it.

Listening Options

You can find us on:

• • Spotify
  • iTunes
  • Stitcher
  • Player FM
  • Spreaker
  • The SalesBabble.com website click the player above on this page!