Most of my career was spent in selling. I had the privilege of calling on customers around the United States. They allowed me to sell my wares to them. Sometimes I was successful. Other times, I walked away without and order. Believe me, there were far more times that I walked away without an order. On those occasions, however, that I was blessed to close a sale, more often than not, it was because I found common ground. And in the process, I made many new friends.
With today’s technology, business moves at the speed of light. When I first started, there were no mobile phones or laptop computers. With no email or texts to lean on, salespeople in those days got on a landline, made phone calls, and visited their customers. Yes, of course they still do that today, but the reliance of technology has increased dramatically in just the last ten years.
Whatever success I had in selling, I owed it to perseverance and my willingness to humble myself to make connections. And to do that, I had to find some type of common ground with my buyer.
What is Common Ground?
Common ground is simply something that you and your buyer share in common. It may be as simple as a belt buckle, purse, or the color green. It could be sports teams or just sports in general. Common ground gives you something that you can use to break the ice. Oftentimes, I’ve found that most buyers tend to loosen up when they find out that the two of you share something in common. Don’t get me wrong. It doesn’t mean that the buyer lowers her guard or strays away from her buying criteria. No, it just simply means that common ground may allow the buyer to give you the time you need to present your proposition, idea, or product.
Don’t Overdo It
Just as finding common ground can be helpful in your sales call, it can also be detrimental. Remember, when breaking the ice, you are still on a sales call. You are there for business, and your buyer’s time is very valuable. Be respectful of that and make sure to take only a few brief minutes of their time chatting about common personal or business interests. When the buyer signals to you that he is ready to return to business, do that. Additionally, don’t stretch it or try to make disingenuous connections. Most buyers that I have dealt with in my career have been pretty perceptive and have easily picked up on a line of BS. So, make sure your interest is genuine.
Finding common ground can help you move the sales dialogue in a more productive direction. It will allow your buyer to be more at ease during the sales call and possibly engender a sincere back and forth between the two of you. And it may lead to a sell!
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