Many people fall into the trap of fearing that they are “less than” someone else in success or status instead of seeing that they have a solution to a problem that another person might need to solve. They focus on everything that the other person is and everything that they are not. And of course “status” is all in what we perceive it to be. We create it and we are the ones that place it on another person.
Why? Our human society has been built on status. It’s why royalty dressed in beautifully colored robes and wore crowns. Their status needed to be obvious to all. In fact, in many cultures, people of status wanted everyone to believe they were superhuman.
Now, we have tech billionaires and celebrities as the kings and queens of our day. We also have an array of people at all levels of status; educational, financial, and social (think: social media follower count!)
So, how do you handle selling to a person of “elevated” status? (At least in what you perceive as status!) Rich? Connected? Successful?
You are valuable.
We should never be chasing our self-worth through a sale. You are worthy. You have value. You deserve to be here no matter what. Your job is to sell the value of the product, service, idea, or the personal value and expertise you bring, without looking for personal validation. This should be the beginning and end of this post, but I’ve few other things for you to think about so keep reading.
There is no danger.
Our brains are wired to NOT want to get rejected so there’s fear here. A Greek emperor may have been able to feed a bad salesperson to the lions but not today. It’s time to remove this primal fear from our brains. Selling to people of status is not dangerous. It requires no apology. We need not bow down.
You have expertise.
The high school dropout selling office supplies to a successful lawyer may lack in almost every area of traditional success when being compared to the lawyer. Except when it comes to understanding the features, benefits, and supply chain issues with today’s office supplies. The server may never live in a mansion, but he can advise the customer with a shellfish allergy not to order the linguini and save him from sudden death. Yes, expertise counts. And it levels the playing field.
Find commonality.
They are human. You are human. You have something in common. What else is there? So, here’s a little tactical advice. Get to know this person as a person and you’ll find you have an affinity for other things. I love to do with locations. I’ve traveled all over the U.S. to every state, multiple times, so no matter where someone lives I am able to come up with a connection. Ask a couple of questions and find an affinity. It’s a great way to bond.
People often say sales is a game. If that’s true, remember what Joe Maddon, coach of the World Series Season Chicago Cubs team said, “When you start worrying about who you’re going to play, it could bite you. Because it really shouldn’t matter.”
Comments? Please let me know your thoughts. And if you liked this post, please share! – AW
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