Three or four months ago, I was talking to one of our TruMethods members, a great young guy with a great attitude who works hard. He’s done a great job dialing in operations, adopting the TruMethods framework, and developing the Technology Success process, but he continued to struggle with sales. He doesn’t like selling, and he thinks he’s not good at it.
“Selling is just not for me,” he said. I could see his frustration. Despite his success in other areas of the business, sales conversations left him feeling uncomfortable and ineffective.
So I told him, “Stop selling. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? You’re not adding a lot of new clients anyway, right?”
Here’s what I told him to do: Go out and meet owners and business leaders. Look at each meeting as an adventure. Be curious. Find out what makes their business tick, then share what you know about technology and its role in business.
This approach transforms what would otherwise be a stressful sales call into something more natural and enjoyable. When you’re genuinely interested in learning about someone’s business, the conversation flows more easily.
Look for ways to add value. I told him that he knows more about how technology can enable business — and why the wrong approach can hold business back — than anyone. Act as if they paid you to understand their business and technology and offer perspective. Don’t talk about your company. Just consult with them. Don’t sell.
When you position yourself as a consultant rather than a salesperson, something interesting happens. You build trust. You demonstrate expertise. And most importantly, you remove the pressure that makes selling uncomfortable in the first place.
About a month later, he emailed me saying he had five great prospects, which was a 500% improvement. He was spending more time on the process, and it sounded like he was starting to enjoy it.
His experience isn’t unique. Many of our members come from technical backgrounds and find traditional selling approaches don’t feel authentic to them. By focusing instead on consultation and value-adding, they discover a more natural path to building client relationships.
So, stop selling and get out there. Remember, the TruMethods sales process is just a framework to help customers decide and for you to control the process. The framework provides structure, but it’s your authentic engagement that builds relationships.
Consider the sales process of the car and you are the driver. You need the vehicle to get where you’re going, but how you drive makes all the difference. Just relax, hit the gas, and, most importantly, enjoy the ride.
When you genuinely care about helping businesses succeed through technology, that sincerity comes through. Prospects can tell the difference between someone trying to make a sale and someone trying to make a difference. And in the end, that’s what turns prospects into clients — not selling techniques, but real value and authentic connection.