Many moons ago, I quit a very corporate gig, to venture out on my own. I never once considered myself a sales person. Sales had such a negative connotation to me that I refused to lump myself in with the used car salesmen I envisioned when hearing the word. Even now, working for an agency, with my title being VP of Business Development, I still don’t really consider myself to be in sales.

Two years ago…I had a mediocre sales year. My pipeline was great, but things just weren’t closing. I read sales books, lists upon lists of do’s and don’t’s, and followed all the Gary V’s and Tim Ferriss’ of the world. The biggest take away from everything??

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE.

I made a conscious effort to slow down, and to stop doing the things I hated other sales people doing towards me. I think I expected people to WANT to do business with me before providing some sort of value, but more importantly, before they even knew me. Something I tell a lot of prospects, when I know they are talking to other agencies is really something I stand by.

“At this level, I don’t think you’re going to get terrible work from anyone, truly. We have talented folks, I’m sure they do as well. But, who do you want to be in bed with for the foreseeable future? Who do you trust to pick up their cell phones in a time of need. Who do you trust to take care of your baby?”

That motto has served me well. I care. I care a lot. Probably too much in some cases. I want all of our clients to succeed, and to succeed big. Their success is my success. The day you gain a client is the day you start losing them. True, but what can you do to combat that. Here’s what…be genuine (and definitely don’t be a jerk)!! It’s really that simple.

There are numerous intangibles required to be a successful sales person, in my opinion, and the more you can humanize the process, the more successful you’ll be. You also have to be a lunatic…in a good way  You must have a 6th sense of when clients/prospects need to be ‘touched’. You must have be clever in ‘checking in’ with prospects. You want their money. They know you want their money. How do you still provide value and show them you actually care, even before the deal is closed and you’re in limbo?

Here’s how…

• Be patient: nothing happens over night.

• Be honest: be so honest and transparent that your client/prospect says ‘holy s**t they are honest’. Be especially honest with expectations. Winning business is great, but if you can’t fulfill your promises, the relationship will fall apart, and everyone ends up pissed off. I could write a post of Biblical proportions about the broken model of winning business, then hiring a million people and scrambling to fulfill the account. I digress…

• Actually give a s**t: This one seems obvious, but apparently it’s not, and it’s where I eat everyone else’s lunch. Sales are built on relationships. If I can show a business owner, VP of Marketing, etc. that I care about their business and am eager to help, they want to help me. The trick though…actually care…don’t just pretend.

• Communicate Well: I used to think this one was something everyone did. It is not. Look at how you write emails, how they are structured, are they easy to read, do you sound like a jerk? ARE THEY EASY TO READ ON MOBILE!? Be succinct. Throw in an emoji every now and then if you’re feeling wild and crazy. Reply-All when appropriate. Don’t when it’s not appropriate.

• Be self-aware: Ah, so you’ve mastered the ‘communicate well’ thing above. Super! How do you come off to the people you are talking to? You get one shot at a first impression, sure…but every little bit of communication is all a part of the song and dance and you need to understand how your prospects and clients perceive you.

• Maybe the most important one…Always, I repeat ALWAYS, bring food: everyone loves food

Sales isn’t an exact science. At the end of the day it’s people talking to people. You see what works, and double down on your strengths. And if all else fails, remember…bagels and coffee are the key to everyone’s heart (and wallet)