“You can present to people or you can be present to them. You can’t do both.”

I grew up (professionally) in the brief-and-present dynamics of the advertising business where honest conversation was almost entirely absent from the sale.

Instead, there was an expectation by both parties that the buyer (client) would brief the seller (agency) on what they were looking for, then the seller would retreat. 

Working in isolation from the buyer, the seller would then craft a customized solution which they would present in a pitch. The client would sit through the pitch with arms folded and lips pressed together. They might ask a few questions at the end but they otherwise wouldn’t say much. 

I remember these moments vividly. As soon as we walked out of a pitch, we would turn to each other and ask “How do you think that went?” 

We shared our guesses, and they were just that—guesses. It never occurred to us to ask the client how it went. Even if we had, they wouldn’t have given us a fully honest answer.

We Never Talk Anymore

Honest answers to thoughtful questions are the basic elements of any good conversation. And any sale of expertise should be a series of conversations where each party is open and honest, asking the questions they want answered and, in turn, honestly answering the questions posed to them. 

This rarely happens. 

There is something about the context of selling that causes us to lose our ability to converse. Instead, we go into presentation mode, signaling to the client that our goal is to convince, not converse. Two-way communication stops. The sale gets more costly for both parties. Each gets a little bit frustrated with the other, with neither seeing the best of the other. 

There are many benefits to seeing the sale as a series of conversations instead of a series of steps the salesperson should take. They include less time wasted and costs incurred, fewer surprises and better fits once into the engagement, and a preservation of the expert advisor status of the seller. 

If you are a good advisor then you have the tools to be a good salesperson. 

When you slip into presentation mode however you jettison all those tools and relegate yourself to the status of needy vendor. The conversion is over. All you have left is the pitch. So you go all in on the pitch. 

Again.

Waving My Magic Wand 🪄

If I could do just one thing for you it would be to reach inside you and pull out all your ideas of what you think it means to sell. 
I would take away your value propositions, your scripts, your decks, and I would rewire the Conversation / Presentation switch inside of you so that when you next found yourself in front of a prospective client you would be left with nothing more than your ability to have a conversation… and you would shine like the expert you are.

-Blair