Your future-customer could literally care less about you, your product, and your bullshit value prop

What if I told you that I have the ability to read a customer’s mind? You read that right. In fact, I have refined this skill over several years using a blend of meditative techniques, eastern medicine, and teachings from several old-world religions. With years of practice and focus, you can develop these same skills of telepathy and probe the minds of your customers to gain critical data about pricing, product, and competitors. Pretty awesome, huh? 

By now, you should have (hopefully) realized that I’m full of shit and I can’t telepathically read minds… at least not by using some mystical power. I can, however, tell you exactly what’s going through your client’s mind during your next meeting. It’s pretty easy actually because almost every customer is thinking the same thing while you’re sitting there getting your materials together. Want to know what it is? Here you go: 

Your future-customer could literally care less about you, your product, and your bullshit value prop. 

To take it a step further, they may even be thinking about all of the other tasks they need to accomplish that day, their dinner plans, how their kids are doing in school, and what the score on the game was last night. So why would they even accept a meeting with you if that’s their attitude? Speaking as someone who’s been on the receiving end of many sales pitches and presentations there are a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s a requirement as part of a sourcing policy for the company and they need 3 bids. Other times it could be a necessary evil in order for them to say they’ve fulfilled a request to explore an alternate idea (your product or service) when in reality they know they’re just going to give the business to their buddy. 

It doesn’t matter what the reason is. All that matters is that you have the attention of this person for the next few minutes and you had better make damn good use of that time, otherwise you’re walking out of there with a big fat zero. Good news though - you have the advantage now because you know what they are thinking. 

Sell without fear, like you have nothing to lose in that moment… because it’s true. Ask provocative, engaging questions. Push the boundaries. Get emotional. Get passionate about why the thing you're selling is the best thing of all things that this future-customer will see this week, this month, this year, in their entire damn life. LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FIELD. Then if this future-customer decides to still buy from his buddy, you can hold your head high and know that there was nothing more you could do. 

Go kick some ass.