Sales—whether selling a product, a service, or fundraising—is listening to someone, connecting with them, and finding a problem you can solve. That’s all it is. If you have to convince people to buy, you have something they don’t want, and no great business came from what people don’t want.
When you really connect with someone, they want to work with you. The top sales performers in every company Joe has worked with always treat the relationship first. The data is consistent: connection drives sales, not persuasion.
“You don’t have to convince anybody of anything. If you have to convince people to buy, well then you have something that they don’t want.”
Related Concepts
- Active listening means asking questions, not just receiving
- Being interested rather than interesting creates connection
- Connection enables accomplishment
- Products designed by connection, not ideas
- Asking questions is the most powerful form of active listening
- Hearing objections before deciding — even if you decide the same thing — changes everything
- Trying to prove yourself agrees to the premise that you’re not valuable