Got a hammer? Know that not everything is a nail
If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning,
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land.
~ Lee Hayes and Pete Seeger
Two things happened on the same day recently. First, I heard "If I Had a Hammer" on the radio. Second, I had lunch with a guy who told me about a partnership that fell apart for him because the other party always had to be the smartest guy in the room.
Why these items are connected is the reason underlying this column. The person who had to be the smartest guy in the room defined everything in terms of the services he offered. If you're a prospect meeting with this person and had several different goals to meet, the solution for each goal would always be the services the person offers. In other words, the whole world is a nail because this person possesses only a hammer.
For anyone trying to sell products or services, let me suggest three hurdles to overcome to avoid this “hammer and nail” syndrome. One: Know your products and services. Two: Know your client's business. Three: Listen.
Salespeople, if they are good at what they do, know their products inside and out. They understand not only how things work, but also the benefits of what they offer. Connections to outcomes are easy for good salespeople to make. They've been there before and they know how to get to the desired result.
HURDLE ONE: Let's say your product is a hammer. You know the materials that go into the product. You understand the durability issues, strength of the material, leverage factor, techniques for how to use the hammer effectively, and where to use the hammer. You also know where not to use the hammer; for example, you wouldn't use a hammer to tighten a screw or secure a pane of glass.
HURDLE TWO: How to understand the customer's business and how they use your product. The No. 1 customer for your hammer are carpenters. What a carpenter does day to day includes the use of a hammer. It also includes the use of saws, levels, planers, measuring tapes and calculators. Then add iPads or laptops, architectural design software, project management software, job-costing software, and the knowledge needed to read engineering and architectural plans.
Yes, hammers are important for carpenters. But their world is much larger than just the nail. Good salespeople understand this and learn as much as they can about all aspects of the carpenter's business. Think about it. A hammer salesperson calls on many carpenters. They learn about how all of them conduct their business. They gain insights into what works and what doesn't work.
This breadth and depth of knowledge is powerful. The salesperson with this knowledge can think like the business owner, not a salesperson. This is a foundation for a great relationship, with a focus on understanding the client's wants, needs and emotions. This precedes any in-depth discussion of products or services.
That brings us to HURDLE THREE: Listen. While a good hammer salesperson may understand a lot about running a carpentry business, he doesn't necessarily understand the business of the carpenter in front of him. Don't assume that because you know what a lot of carpenters do, you understand what this specific carpenter should do.
Listen to understand and empathize. Connect to people and their emotional needs and anxieties. This connection on an empathetic level is much more important than a product solution. Clients want to know what you know about them; they want to know they're heard and understood. So, ask questions and listen well.
Most of all, clients want to trust you and what you say. This trust comes about through strong relationships, not knowledge. Forget about how good your hammer knocks in nails. Instead, focus on the person first. Knowledge is a valuable asset.
Ken Cook is co-founder of How to Who and co-author of How to WHO: Selling Personified, a book and program on building business through relationships. Learn more at
www.howtowho.com.
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