You know you avoid them. As hard as you try, you won’t be able to get anything more than a conversation about the weather from the wallflower standing in the corner. And the slick haired salesman at the other end of the room will spend the whole conversation tell you every nuance of his new product.
So know you avoid them. And you do it because they are boring – because you won’t get anything from them other than pleasantries or formulaic sales hype. You avoid them because there is no real connection.
But are people avoiding you for the same basic reason?
Are you boring?
The Danger of Vanilla: Vanilla is a fine ice cream flavor, a true classic. But no one is going to call you up to tell you about this amazing new cone they had of mouthwatering vanilla. The jalapeno mocha fudge ice cream, though, that’s worth talking about. So don’t be vanilla. You are unique and – to connect with people, get them interested in you, and get them talking to others about you – you need to let your flavor shine through. Holding back who you are just makes you not noteworthy and unmemorable, two characteristics that will quickly kill your potential for marketing yourself.
Being JUST Your Position: You may be a Sales Rep, a Senior Manager, or a Business Owner, but you are also a whole lot more. You’ve got a family or a new pinball machine, a hobby or a favorite band, and you have that story from last Thanksgiving when Uncle Bob’s dog ate the turkey so ordered Chinese food. In other words, the majority of who you really are (and a lot of the more interesting stuff) is outside of your professional persona. So let at least a little bit of it show through. It will make you more interesting and give people the feeling that they relate to you.
Selling When You Shouldn’t: People want to do business with folks that they know, like, and trust. Trying to sell before someone has gotten to know you and decided that she likes you is going to be an uphill battle every time. So don’t start by selling. Instead, connect with the person and allow them to get to get to know that true, non-vanilla, more interesting than just your work persona, you. After you have this relationship, then you selling becomes easy.
