Are You Open to Influence?

Have you read The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite? My colleague, Michael Port (with Elizabeth Marshall) wrote it last year and I will be transparent here: When I first read it I liked it, but I didn’t fall in love with it. That changed this weekend when I picked it up again (I love it now). Maybe I needed to be in the right head space, in fact, I know that I needed to be in the right head space: I needed to be open to influence.

I re-approached The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite with an awareness that recently I was saying ‘no’ more often. When I find myself saying ‘no’ or finding reasons why something ‘won’t work’ my smarter self raises his hand and says: ‘Matt, you are not open to influence and missing opportunity. Drop the pretense and make yourself available’. So, I found myself opening the book again and finding gem after gem of sales advice and help in putting my sales and marketing approach in perspective: the perspective of my customers. I am in service to my customers and they are the decision makers. This is not to say that I am like jello and mold to them, but instead I recognize that they demand honesty and transparency in the sales process.

So, what did I learn by reading The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite again?  I caught myself in a cycle of ‘no’ and not being open to influence (a dangerous cycle to get into as a solo-preneur). And I recognized these four key points:

1. Catch Yourself - Be aware of your thought patterns and in response your business decisions and actions
2. Be Open to Influence - Be open to unorthodox ideas. Be really open to new ideas, if you find yourself reacting immeaditely with a ‘no’ or ‘that won’t work’ - take a closer look!
3. Be Aware - Are you applying an old paradigm to a new context? Customers have more choices and power than ever - your sales and marketing must reflect this knowledge.
4. Share Your Ideas - Seek assistance and feedback from your colleagues and peers, business is not a spectator or individual endeavor. Feedback can give you a new perspective and may even encourage collaboration (a crucial sales and marketing tool for entrepreneurs). 

Alright, get back out there. Open yourself to influence from others and listen to the feedback you are receiving from your customers. They like you (that’s why they continue to buy from you) and want you to recognize their needs.

Tagged as: Book Yourself Solid, business, contrarian effect, Entrepreneur, Michael Port, open to influence, sales, Small Business Coach