Well handled vulnerability

Vulnerability is often considered as the opposite of strength. In every field of life, I claim that well-handled vulnerability is an alternative to being strong. And sales is no exception. Let me explain with two illustrations below. The one on the left shows a hand defending a straight punch. The receiving hand must be at least as strong as the punch to handle this punch properly. In comparison, the receiving hand on the illustration on the right uses a different technique. It uses the momentum of the attacking hand and diverts it. In this case, the defender has no obligation to be stronger than the attacker. It only needs to apply the right technique to use the power of the attacking hand against it.

To the defender on the left, vulnerability is the opposite of strength. While for the one on the right, it is the alternative.  

Almost every day I talk to salespeople (but also friends, colleagues, customers, executives…) telling me that they are very open to learn. Yet, few of them realize that it means being exposed to be proved wrong. And even fewer people know how to deal with it. Thus, it makes them vulnerable.

And because of the way they sell, many salespeople (despite saying the contrary) are not very much open to learning, and instead, they use their knowledge to demonstrate superiority. They try to give confidence and appear to be strong as an expert. So, when facing objections, they defend their claims and respond with the appropriate information.   

The ones who are genuinely open to learning ask questions rather than pouring data and information to their customers. Their first objective is to learn from the customer, not to teach. Through their questions, they make the first step to expose that they may not know everything. This humility gives more confidence to their customers. Therefore, their customer talks more openly, creating more learning opportunities for the salesperson. And when facing a difficult question or an objection from the customer, they handle it like in the illustration on the right. They transform their vulnerability into a strength so that they do not have to appear strong. When they do not know the answer, they say so; when they relize that they misunderstood the customer’s need, they explain so. And when they discover that their product/service is not the best solution for the customer, they admit it.

Managing their vulnerabilities does not make those salespeople close every deal. But it for sure makes them more reliable decision-making partners for their customers. And in the long run, they are the ones who survive difficult times and crisis periods.