In my business, the lessons you teach, you learn as you live them…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have always loved the outdoors. Hiking, camping, rafting, the ocean sports, all of it, I\u2019m in. I see a Bass Pro Shop or REI and can\u2019t help stopping to check things out. One day I did that and ended up relearning a crucial lesson on selling and the art of persuasion in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My local REI store is in Manhattan Beach, California and on this particular day I did my usual \u201cstop in\u201d to look around. The problem with me and \u201clooking around,\u201d is that I\u2019m like a kid in a candy store and always end up buying something. So there I am, looking at an entire wall of backpacks and thinking about my last experience hiking, when I hear a voice behind me ask: \u201cLooking at backpacks?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because it seemed obvious I gave a slightly snide answer of \u201cWhy yes, I am.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Eager Beaver sales associate then said \u201cWell, let me show you what we got.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He then pointed out a beautiful external frame pack and began to explain its features; Several cubic feet of storage, incredibly light exoskeleton, waterproof compartment, lumbar pad, self-tightening shoulder straps, and on and on. As my eyes glazed over I realized I did not want to listen to this guy anymore and cut him short with a \u201clet me look around a bit,\u201d then left. No purchase, no sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few days later I stopped into a much smaller specialty-hiking store in Redondo Beach. I stood looking at the wall of 6 or 7 models of packs when I heard a voice from behind, \u201cLooking at backpacks huh?\u201d Truth is, I smelled him coming before he got there. Ocean, patchouli, a clear hint of marijuana; his scent announced him before he got there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was about to send Mr. Obvious on his way when he said \u201cdude, I love to hike, you too?\u201d The voice called me dude. I was 40 years old (at the time) so it gave me a chuckle. I turn around to find a youngish, quintessential looking California surfer guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere do you go hiking?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell,\u201d I told him, \u201cmy last trip was to Yosemite.\u201d I told him how beautiful I thought it was and about the many bears I saw, and the story about them raiding my camp when I made the rookie mistake\u00a0of leaving beef jerky in my backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDude, I love Yosemite, they have some gnarly hikes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we talked about\u00a0what I liked, where I went, how my equipment fared and finally why I was in his store. \u201cMy backpack shifted all over the place when we were bouldering, I could never get comfortable when I was using my hands and feet to climb\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDude, I get it. You have an external frame right?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYep,\u201d I said. Then he said \u201ccheck this out\u201d and took out a backpack that was shaped like a taco and didn\u2019t appear to have a frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the s**t, fits like a glove and moves with you when you boulder\u201d he explained. He was right and before you knew it I had dropped a cool $250 on a new pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I was checking out I said to the surfer dude \u201cyou\u2019re good at this.\u201d \u201cGood at what?\u201d he asked. \u201cSelling!\u201d I said. \u201cI have been selling for years and you are really good.\u201d He smiled, \u201cI don\u2019t sell\u201d he said, \u201cI just took my father\u2019s advice \u2013 I find out what people want, what they love about hiking or the outdoors, what their interests are, then I show\u2019em things that work for what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boom, there it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I realized, in that moment, that I had forgotten one of the oldest and most important tenets of sales, persuasion and even of leadership. How could I, a guy\u00a0that owned two businesses that relied on client sales have forgotten something so elemental?\u00a0It honestly freaked me out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we think<\/em>, feel<\/em> or say<\/em> about our idea, product, or anything is largely irrelevant<\/em>. We do not convince people to buy an idea or thing, but rather we simply uncover and relate to their needs <\/em><\/strong>and their needs only. What I had forgotten is that, whether you\u2019re selling backpacks, advice, or fractional ownership of a jet, people buy emotionally<\/em>, then use facts and data<\/em> to back up the decision to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n I never forgot it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kevin Catlin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n COO & Managing Partner<\/p>\n\n\n\n Insight Strategies, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n kcatlin@insightstrategies.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n “People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered \u2015 Blaise Pascal, Pens\u00e9es<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In my business, the lessons you teach, you learn as you live them… I have always loved the outdoors. Hiking, camping, rafting, the ocean sports, all of it, I\u2019m in. I see a Bass Pro Shop or REI and can\u2019t help stopping to check things out. One day I did that and ended up relearning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1733,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,13,20,12],"tags":[19,16,18],"class_list":["post-1732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coaching","category-presentations","category-sales","category-speaking","tag-coaching","tag-presentations","tag-sales"],"yoast_head":"\n
than by those which have come into the mind of others.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n