If you have seen the movie Hitch, then you know the scene. Will Smith’s character (Hitch) is trying to coach Kevin James’ character (Albert) on how to finish out his upcoming first date. He is giving him pointers, one being that if his date fumbles with her keys at the door, it could mean she wants a kiss. So Hitch wants to see if Albert knows what to do – for a good night kiss. Hitch gives him the advice “you go 90 percent, and then wait for her to go 10%” which Albert then asks “wait for how long?” Hitch: “as long as it takes.” Albert leads in, Hitch is holding back to see if Albert will wait, and then Albert goes all the way and gives him a kiss. Hitch gets upset, and says “You go 90, I go 10 – you don’t go the whole 100%.” The Sales Analogy Kissing our prospective customers is not acceptable (just ask HR!). But the concept is the same. You don’t want to ever make 100% of the effort for your prospective customers. You don’t want to be the one who is doing all the work. Fundamentally, it is not good practice to want the deal more than the other person. When you go your 90, you need to wait – as long as it takes – for the prospect to go to their 10. And I would say that you want to go somewhere between 10-49, in reality. How Successful Sales Professionals Balance Effort Successful sales professionals know how far they have to go to meet the prospect where they are, while also knowing how much effort the prospect needs to put in to show they are committed. Where most salespeople get in trouble is they get desperate. They want the sale (kiss) more than the other person and they go the full 100%. Of course, persistence is important. And you won’t get what you don’t ask for (although…if you have followed me for any length of time, you will know I am very against having to ask for the sale). But you also have to ensure that your prospects actually want what you are selling. And they want it for their reasons and their motivations. They are driven to pursue your production option(s). They must go 10, 40, 60% of the way to you. The Pitfall of Chasing Your Prospect Just like courtship and relationships – if you find yourself chasing and one-sided-pursing the other person then it means you want it more than they do. It also means they own you. You are essentially begging them for the relationship – convincing, manipulating, begging, bribing, persuading your way forward. Which means they consciously and/or subconsciously know that they are in control. Because if they say no, you will keep pursuing and offering solutions. In sales – that looks like a salesperson who is calling, emailing, stalking a prospect – making offers, offering discounts and trials, and trying to find any way to make deal work. They are going 90-100% of the way for the prospect, not requiring them to go anywhere towards the agreement. This will end terribly. If they do decide to buy – taking the discount, free trial, taking the sale bait – they will not be happy (since they weren’t bought in for their reasons), they will look for reasons confirming why they didn’t really want to buy anyway, and they will know that they own you. Your company will have to convince them on a regular basis to stay in the relationship. The Right Balance for Customer Ownership You fundamentally need that prospective customer to come to you. Not 100% where you are just an Order Taker. But potentially 51% of the way – so they want it more than you. The more you can get them across that 50/50 threshold, the more they will be a satisfied customer. But remember – at 51/49 – they still need persuading, they still need to understand the value of your product for where they ultimately want to be in their life/business, and they still need your support. They lean in the right amount, you lean in the right amount = sales magic!

How can you build trust with a process? How can making your team follow a script, or rolling out a new CRM, a new compensation plan, or any changes to what the team is currently used to doing build trust? It definitely won’t build loyalty. But it can build trust. Keep in mind though, as I discussed in the Leadership blog last week [ https://www.sellingeffectiveness.com/giving-and-earning-trust ] – it doesn’t start with trust. Even when you hire someone new, they don’t trust you – especially for sales. Think of it from their perspective…someone in a position of power, maybe in a suit, is telling them about all the opportunities available, how great the job is, how satisfying it is to sell people, and how much money they can make. Sounds great. In theory. Until they make their own sales – starting with their first one – they won’t fully believe it. It’s just a story that someone in a suit told them. They accept the job offer and it becomes a “I will believe it when I see it and do it for myself” mode in their mind. (Side note – this is why it is so critical to help your new salespeople close their first sale as quickly as possible…the longer it takes to make a sale…the more they think they were ‘sold a story’ during the recruiting process.) Remember – you can’t ask anyone to trust you. You must show them that they can. You earn their trust. And what we want is trust that will lead to loyalty. The way your sales operation’s processes and systems build trust is by their effectiveness. Does your sales script work? Did someone who knows what they are doing build it around the best practices of selling effectiveness? Has that script been proven to help new or mediocre salespeople get bigger, better, quicker results? Does the marketing processes and funnels lead to more and better-quality leads? Does the CRM help those who want to use it stay organized and on top of their sales pipeline, ultimately leading to closing more deals and making more money? Are the right people (you know…the ones that are in line with your mission, vision, and core values…and follow the sales process you have outlines, and get the results that you desire) making money, and in a way that looks effortless? What do your current systems and processes relay to the team? Do they communicate that the business leadership knows how to run a successful business where the systems and processes are there to support everyone (customers, salespeople, other teams) success? This doesn’t mean things won’t change. Or that some of the team aren’t winning. But the key is that your team should understand the WHY for any change, every process, and every system in place. What doesn’t build trust? “This is how we have always done it.” “I don’t know…not sure why we do it that way.” “I have never seen anyone use that/follow that/log into that.” “The person who wrote/built/rolled that out had no idea about sales.” “I bet I could do it better.” “If I was in charge…” That means you have a low trust vibe in the team. And if they don’t trust you and what you build and roll out – they won’t want to use it, perform, or stay. You definitely won’t get their loyalty if they don’t trust you. Conclusion High trust teams are a combination of mission, vision, core values and transparency.  This will build trust. Remember – you don’t always have to be perfect. Mistakes, misjudgments happen. Admit to them, regroup, realign, and be transparent with the team.