I Have My Own Style

“I have my own style.”

This is what salespeople say when they don’t want to follow a sales process or they’re uncomfortable asking for the commitments they need.

It’s true that salespeople can have different approaches. We all have different personalities and we might make different language choices. But there isn’t a style that allows you to avoid following an effective sales process or to win without asking for the commitments you need.

Style vs. Process

There isn’t a style that allows you to violate the iron laws of selling. There isn’t a style that suggests that you don’t need to qualify your targets, spend time doing discovery work, building consensus around your solution, or anything else that might be codified in your sales process.

We sometimes don’t think we need to do things, and sometimes we do have to operate outside the boundaries of our process. But these aren’t style decisions. These are decisions that thoughtful salespeople and sales managers make when they know the rules. Because they know the rules, they can make thoughtful decisions about when and how to break them.

There isn’t an effective sales process called “winging it.” That’s not a style; it’s a mistake.

Point: Sales Process

Commitment Gaining vs. Process

You know there is no such thing as a style that allows you to avoid asking for the commitments you need. You might be uncomfortable asking for those commitments, and it’s quite possible you might not have done the value creating necessary to deserve those commitments, but it’s not a style.

Selling effectively is in part moving from commitment to commitment. Missing commitments is how you end up with a pipeline full of stalled opportunities. You have your own personality. You use your own language. But avoiding commitment gaining isn’t a style.

There is no style of selling that allows you to succeed without asking for and gaining commitments. That’s a lack of confidence that’s most likely due to a lack of value creation. When you create a lot of value, you feel like you deserve commitments—because you do.

Point: Commitment Gaining

Your style may be amped up and passionate. It might be low key. It might be ultra-professional and consultative. But it isn’t winging it and it isn’t avoiding asking for commitments.