Still Know, Like, and Trust. Still Attitude.

There is a lot of talk about what’s changed in sales. And lots of things have changed. But some things haven’t changed.

Know, Like, and Trust
People still buy from people that they know, like, and trust. We don’t like to talk about the squishy, soft things like knowing someone, likability, and trust, bit they are still hugely important to winning (or losing) deals.

You don’t win when you aren’t known. People don’t buy from people they’ve never met, at least in complex, business-to-business sales. And they don’t buy from strangers when the purchase is something more than transactional. They want to know who they’re buying from.

You don’t win if you aren’t likable. People don’t be from people they find repelling. But we don’t have a process for likability, and we don’t have any metrics. So we don’t address the issue at all (even though a big part of this could be handled by looking at every hiring decision through the eyes of your clients and dream clients: will they want to buy from this person?)

We sometimes talk about trust. But we don’t do much more than that. We believe trust is table stakes.

The old “know, like, and trust” still matters. We’re still human.

The Importance of Attitude
I can’t tell you how often I dial a phone number only to hear the pained, groan of the seemingly undead person on the other end of the phone. It’s a terrible first impression (or last impression, as the case may be) for a sales organization. And sometimes it’s an actual salesperson!

Their attitude gives them away. They’d rather be somewhere else. They’d rather being doing anything else. Their results are exactly consistent with this attitude.

Attitude counts for much when it comes to results, but never so much so as in sales. A poor attitude still produces poor results. A great attitude still produces great results. Negative people aren’t top performers, and they almost always drag others down with them. Positive people produce better results, and they serve as an example for others.

It’s easier to avoid dealing with attitude issues–unless they become seriously problematic. But the human mind (and the accompanying beliefs and mindset) are the root of all results.

Attitude still matters when it comes to results, especially sales results.

Some things never change.

Questions

Does it still matter that you are known, liked, and trusted?

Do the social channels help make you known, liked, or trusted?

How does an attitude betray your results, positive or negative?