In sales training we are drilled on asking well-crafted questions that uncover what our prospect wants and why they want it. There is one more thing: How bad do they want it?
About 20 years ago I was talking to an owner and founder of a highly successful graphic arts business. Mike, the owner, had just finished designing a book cover for a very famous athlete. I was there as a consultant to help him advance in his management and delegation skills. His company was growing fast.
I had prepared well for our first meeting, and designed my questions to get to the heart of his primary interest and dominant buying motive. (What he wanted and why he wanted it). Mike said, “When me and my team are meeting with customers, I’ve heard people say afterwards, “Mike, whenever you leave the room, the value of your company cuts in half”. From this conversation I surmised that Mike wanted to change this. I assumed he wanted to build a team that was strong and would sustain that strength even when he wasn’t there.
We started with some training in management and delegation. It wasn’t long before he lost interest. When I interviewed him afterwards, he finally admitted that he liked being indispensable, and didn’t want anyone else to share the stage. In other words, even though he wanted his company to grow, he wasn’t willing to subordinate his ego in favor of building others. He couldn’t let go of what he loved.
Do you want your company to grow? Are you willing to let go of what you love?
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