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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.
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