Don't Believe the Hype...A Call for Authenticity & Transparency

It's April of 2024, and while I love evergreen content, this article is meant for today's economy, today's buyers and today's business owners and the selling professionals they employ.

Over the last three to four years, the "whack-a-mole" explosion in popularity of the self-annointed "sales gurus" has littered and polluted the social media feeds of the world and infected even the minds and hearts of some of the smartest of people in business and sales.

Until that is...they recognize the lack of integrity of most of the philosophies, tactics and outright BS being pedaled by these "ballers & closers" to unsuspecting, good-natured people looking for "the edge" they think they need to achieve enough success to buy a jet, own a mansion or drive a Lambo. The pressure of achieving this lofty level of success is usually projected onto the prospect, and creates a creepy, transactional feel for everyone involved. Not good.

DO NO HARM. It is critical to recognize that the difference between pressure and persuasion in a client experience boils down to 2 essential ingredients...A philosophy of benevolence and great technique.

What real, actual people who buy things in the real world are truly in search of is another real, actual human being who has a genuine desire to serve them in the interest of making the best decision possible for them as a buyer. Hard stop.

So, how can you set yourself or your business up for long-term, sustained success over a career? And, how can business owners end the maddening cycle of salesperson/client churn? Give the people what they want...a Most Trusted Resource™ (MTR) who is the person they call when they aren't sure what to do and need a subject matter expert who is dependable, relatable and real with them.

I GET IT. "Baller" posts by self-congratulatory, egomaniacal characters on social media can make people feel like they're doing something wrong. It's all designed to make you feel inferior and that it's necessary for you to change everything and become more like the them if you ever expect to achieve success...N-O-T-H-I-N-G, could be further from the truth.

Real actual people don't want to be manipulated by shallow, self-serving people posing as "closers" or "ballers" only looking to satisfy their egos and score the commission. It's slimy, it's off-putting and makes bona fide Sales Professionals who value their clients absolutely cringe when they see or hear the bullshit tactics used by these pretenders and snakes.

Think I am being too harsh on these self-proclaimed "champions" and "killers" as they describe themselves? Nahhh...They'll be fine, because as P.T. Barnum famously said about the sideshows at his circus goer, "There's one born every minute." Those poor, misguided and often unsuspecting souls who seek instant success or fast commissions will always be susceptible to the ridiculous claims of these frauds and phonies promising magic word tracks and success through rants, chants or donning tight pants. They ususally end up as part of the endless parade and exodus called salesperson churn.

If we truly want to continue to elevate professional selling, it requires what anything truly great that stands the test of time demands...choosing the right process or plan, investing in hard work and refinement over time and regulating the environment in which we work to deliver a product that lasts. Developing our people is no different, and especially when we are talking about imbuing a philosophy of integrity, a strategy for long-term success and the development of the tactical skills and techniques that make it all work.

Don't believe the hype, believe in you and working harder on your skills to develop unshakeable confidence. Avoid arrogance. Confidence is sexy and attractive in the marketplace.

Arrogance repels people like bad breath or foaming at the mouth with cheesy, canned word tracks obviously designed to prop up a low-skilled or untrained salesperson.

Word tracks alone will never maximize our results. We have to commit to conceptual understanding our individual and/or organizational mission to gather and share all of the information needed to help our clients make the best decisions possible...for them.

Sandy Cerami is a nationally-recognized Business Development Expert and Speaker. He is the creator of 3STEP SMART SELLING™ & THE 7PILLARS OF KILLER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT™, the most relatable, people-driven B2C and B2B revenue growth system and strategy in business today. He speaks, teaches and writes about topics ranging from Business Development and Leadership to Recruiting & Retaining Top Talent and Organizational Culture. For more information or to contact Sandy to speak at your next event or on-site with your team, click here for more information!