This insightful interview teaches you how to be your authentic self while selling

This interview with Eckhart Tolle is especially useful to succeed in sales because, all things being equal, the absolute differentiator between you and your competition is YOU, so learning how to be your authentic self while selling is critical for success.

Fast forward to 1:18minutes, it’s where the interview begins.

 

Topics discussed

[1:18 mins] Why being authentic self is critical to any success. When you’re not being yourself, you’re sabotaging your greatest USP. YOU! You can only connect with people when you’re connected to your true-self.

[4:22 mins] Our limiting beliefs disconnect ourselves from our bigger selves. Reminding ourselves of who we really are allows us to detach from material things and reach our fullest potential. This impacts how we communicate with others, and in a sales context, how you show up in front of clients and prospects.

[10:20 mins] What stops us from being our absolute best is that persistent voice / thoughts in our head. I call it the hamster-on-a-wheel in my head. It rattles away. Pointlessly. Aimlessly. It serves no purpose. Eckhart gives great tips on how you can get out of your head and start experiencing the present moment.

[13:20 mins] Goals are important, but if the goal you want to reach takes up so much of your attention that you regard the present moment as inferior to the the goal you want to achieve, then the quality of the present moment becomes diminished. And everything that happens in the present becomes an irritation.

[15:30 mins] If you are totally dominated by becoming and not being now, you’re not honouring life right now. If you make the present moment a means to an end, every person you encounter you reduce as a means to an end, too, you want to use them to get something. This behaviour is why most sales people are slimy and pushy. They’re entirely goal orientated, living in their head.

[16:45 mins] Give fullest attention to whatever you’re doing now. A good question to ask yourself: “where is my attention right now? Is it on where I want to get to or what I am doing this moment?”

[18:00 mins] Arianna brings up a good point about how technology is taking us away from being present. Wonderful thing to be able to do is be able to stop thinking, looking and being in someone’s presence without judging them. Real mindfulness is being in the presence of people and things without any thoughts.

[21:29 mins] More tips on how we can bring mindfulness into daily practise: nature and animals help. Keep a plant next to your computer screen or get a pet.

[22:25 mins] How to find your authentic self in the age of the selfie: a self image develops in our minds from our societal beliefs projected upon ourselves from the day we were born beginning with what our parents and peers tell us. Social media perpetuates our disfunction because we construct for ourselves a fictional image. People unconsciously recreate a false image of ourselves.

[25:00 mins] The importance of a digital detox. I find this fascinating. When people attend a conference or a concert and they videotape the concert, they’re not fully experiencing the concert. Their experience is video-taping the concert. The same applies to holidays. When we take photos and tweet or Facebook them, we’re not fully experiencing the holiday. We’re experiencing Facebooking about it.

[31:13 mins] They talk about Power of Now, my favourite book and how it took Eckhart almost 20 years to become an overnight success. Eckhart talks about how to deal with discouragement. Many people told him books about the “present” had already been written, however, being mission focussed, that didn’t stop him.

 

3 Tips on how to be your authentic self while selling

1. How many times have you been to networking events where someone runs round the room shoving their business card in your hand? They’re one of those people focussed on goals, and not enjoying the moment. They’re one of those people using the present and the people to get to their end goal. You can tell they’re not enjoying the moment and neither are the people who they encounter; who likes to be hard-sold to? No one I know.

Instead of being numbers or goal focussed when out networking, focus on just being there, having a good time, and meeting interesting people and making authentic connections. People do business with people they know, like and trust, and if you’re not being your authentic self, they’re not going to connect with you.

2. In client meetings; instead of being goal orientated, which usually involved desperately feeling the need to talk about your product or service, just focus on being there to serve the client. When you’re fully there, you will actively listen. Most people don’t listen. Most people wait until it’s their turn to speak. This isn’t listening. So when you are fully present, you will listen, fully, and people feel that energy. They can tell you’re there for them and not just to close a sale.

3. Another example for client meetings: when you’re present, you’re not worried about competition, and therefore not focussed on trying to talk about your product’s features; instead you’ll be able to ask more questions –  absolutely critical for sales success. You can’t ask more questions if you’re worried about competition and closing because you’re too focussed on talking about you.

For more on Mindful selling, go here and for something on mindful cold calling, here, and networking, here

What did you think?

What can you do today to start being your authentic self? And what part of the interview resonates with you?