7 Ways You Prove That You Are Self-Oriented

These seven behaviors make you appear to be self-oriented in cold calling and sales in general.

1. You talk about your product and your company too early. This is the first and most common way you demonstrate that the sales interaction you are engaged in is all about you. There is a time to pitch, but it isn’t often early in the process.
2. You talk about your product and your company unrelated to your clients' wants, needs, or questions. When you talk about your product and your company without relating it to your client’s needs, it’s likely because it’s something you want to talk about. Unless you can relate it to what your client is saying, it’s all about your self orientation.

Related: How to Become Someone People Want to Buy From

1. You talk about your personal gain or compensation. We call this commission breath. And it will melt your customer's face off. Nothing says that a deal is about you more than you mentioning your compensation or what you stand to gain.
2. You talk about a win-win deal. Your client doesn’t care about your win. They care about producing better outcomes. All of your language needs to be other-oriented, even in a negotiation. Focusing on your side of the win-win makes the negotiation about how much you are self oriented .
3. You don’t really listen to what your client is saying and instead worry about your next line. How easy is it to control the ideas that are popping into your mind while your client is speaking? Not listening is proof positive that you don’t care, and it reeks of a self-orientation. Listening is caring. Not listening is the opposite.

1. You show up late and unprepared. This sends the clear single that your time is more valuable than your clients. The lack of preparation suggests that you didn’t find them important enough for you to do your homework. If you don’t value your client’s time, you are self-oriented.

Related: How to Prepare for a Client Conversation

1. You ask for commitments you haven’t earned. When you’ve earned a commitment, you are right to ask for it. When you haven’t earned the right, you are asking because you want what you want when you want it. This is what toddlers and bullies do.