My eldest daughter is now six years old. And if I like it or not, she is a skilled negotiator. How did she become? By asking questions. All the time. No matter what, she wants to know why, how and what.
The funny thing is, probably like any other parent, we never taught her these skills. But when I started to analyze these skills, I found some inspiring lessons for all of us that want to succeed in sales and life.
Here are my findings
Never take no as an answer
My daughter never ever takes ‘no’ for an answer. While this is sometimes frustrating for us as parents, it demonstrates persistence. If you are in sales, you know that the ‘no’s’ will occur more frequently than the ‘yesses’ you will get.
If you don’t ask…
Her motto is ‘if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.’ Little kids, especially toddlers, are very creative in getting what they want.
Good salespeople understand that just asking will open new doors. We often see people who don’t dare to ask the question for a commitment because they think it’s too early in the process or not appropriate at the moment. So why not? If you never ask, you never know the response.
Ask questions
My daughter is good at asking questions all day long. In all the sales training we had, we have learned to ask open questions. Kids are good at it. They continuously want to know why, how, and what. They try to understand the rationale behind every answer.
Be curious
My daughter, like many kids, is extremely curious. I personally believe that the best salespeople demonstrate an attitude of constant curiosity. They are genuinely interested in the other person.
Negotiate anytime
If you have kids, you will recognize that most of them negotiate about everything. About going to the zoo, a park or the playground. About getting one or two pieces of chocolate. Or about how long they can be on the Ipad.
Negotiation often takes place in parts. If I do this, will you do that? Closing, at any time. Frequently, we see salespeople giving elements of a deal too easy away. Remind to negotiate in portions of the agreement and make sure both parties win.
“My daughter never ever takes no for an answer.”
Persistent, curious, authentic, and reliable. We all love little kids because of these habits. So be a bit more like them. Adopt these skills, and don’t be afraid to ask difficult, challenging questions. It will help your customer, and it will make you a better sales rep.
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