Master persuaders know that people are more likely to agree with them, like them, buy from them, and hire them if they feel they have more in common with them. To encourage this, master persuaders highlight their similarities to the customer or business associate. How can you do this?

1. Talk about what you have in common. No matter how different you may think you are from someone, you are bound to have at least a few things in common with him. Find out what they are, talk about them, and begin to connect. Successful people find ways to click with anyone and know how to get along with people from all walks of life, ages, and areas of expertise. Doing so is beneficial to you in several ways. Not only do you increase the likelihood of the person saying “yes”, but you also expand your base of knowledge and experience.

2. Look the part. If you’re meeting with a banker who dresses conservatively, match the tone of his clothing. If you’re having lunch with someone who’s more trendy and fashion-forward, work a little more verve into your look. People tend to look for what they know in others. I’m not suggesting you forget who you are or pretend to be something other than what you are. All you need to do is lean toward his point on the spectrum.

3. Compliment him. Everybody loves a compliment. This doesn’t have to be artificial. Something about him probably impresses you. Verbalize what it is. We all want to work with people who like us and make us feel appreciated. When someone tells us we’re great, we want to live up to that and show it off.

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I was speaking with John, a client of mine who works in sales, the other day, and he shared his ideas for lasting career success. John earned a promotion from the position of sales rep to sales manager just under a year ago, and he was assigned to the store in his market that had traditionally performed the worst. Ten months later, John’s store is #1 in his market and #2 in his region, which spans six states. He was asked to give a presentation recently to talk about his strategies for improving business. His main pointers were:

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As a business leader it is your job to make certain that the business grows.  Many business leaders take this charge personally.  I often find busy entrepreneurs, executives and independent professionals knocking on doors, making presentations and otherwise pitching their potential customers.  Not only do I applaud this effort, I recommend it.  Here’s why:

C-Suite Selling Shows Commitment – Customers almost always get the feeling that the firm cares when the business leader shows up on their doorstep.  If a business leader makes the time to get on a plane and make a trip to a customer site, clients are impressed.  Keep in mind that you need to save these executive trips for impact moments.  A good time to bring in the boss is when your close to closing the deal.  A meet and greet with the boss is a great closing moment.

Executive Selling Puts a Face to the Firm – Many clients get the feeling that their sales rep has to report to at least one key decision-maker.  Even entrepreneurs may give the impression that they need to “talk to a partner” before closing a big deal.  Bringing in the CEO, or positioning the entrepreneur as the ultimate decision-maker allows deals to be closed on the spot.  After all, who does the boss need to check with? 

How does a solo entrepreneur position himself as a “big cheese”?  Here are a few ideas:  1) Have someone else schedule your appointment.  Ask a temp, your husband, your wife or your sister to call your client and schedule the meeting.  Then have that same person confirm the meeting a few days prior.  2) Have a friend or business associate call the client and put in a good word for you.  They should speak to your integrity and your ability to make things happen. This “pre-reference” will always help make you look more powerful.  The fact that an independent third party took the time to make a call on your behalf will increase the client’s favorable perception of you.  3) In the meeting, refer to your company as “my team”.  Even if you use contractors or freelancers, they are still your team.  This type of language demonstrates leadership.

Internal Credibility – Your sales people will have a renewed respect for the business leader that gets out into the field to try to help develop some business.  This type of a “battlefield commander” will not only win points for effort he may actually get his employees to respect his work ethic.  If the CEO does not shirk the hard work of selling, how can a lazy salesperson make excuses?

There are few negatives to bringing the boss on a sales call.  If you’re reading this and you are the boss, you need to hit the streets right now.  Make sure you’re prepared.  Make sure you go with your best salespeople first (in case you’re rusty).  But keep in mind that a little effort in this area will pay big dividends. If you are an entrepreneur just starting out, never lose touch with sales.  Always keep yourself grounded in business development in some way.  This will make you a better business leader and it just might make your business stronger.

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If you’re an entrepreneur you better know how to sell.  If you can’t (or don’t want to) sell you better hire someone who can. 

It is often said that the two most important aspects of business are sales and innovation.

Whenever I hear this statement I smile.  Why?

What comes to mind when you think about innovation?  Do you picture a bunch of people in lab coats in a sterile environment looking into microscopes?  At the very least, you picture a bunch of really smart folks sitting around thinking of the next “new thing”.

What comes to mind when you think of salespeople?

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