“I don’t pave the way for people. People pave the way for me.”
Harvey Specter (character on the TV show Suits) is a master of influence.
He’s witty, sharp tongued, confident, and charismatic.
He’s never asked his associate Mike Ross for the right words to say to win a case. He asks for help finding loopholes, dirty little secrets and hidden agendas, but the right words are never Harvey’s concern.
Of course, he’s a character on TV with a team of writers to create his perfect words.
Maybe you just need to know the perfect words to use in your sales situation so you can succeed, right?
If you’re not in sales but you’re about to ask for a promotion, try to close a deal or make a sale for your business, you probably have wondered if the right words – a perfect script, if you will – was what you needed.
Scripts are more complicated than you think … and even the right words won’t always get the job done. I explain (and demonstrate with the help of Dave Peniuk, the actor.
I wish it were as simple as having the right words in a sales script to create influence and impact. It would make selling, so much easier. Unfortunately, even if you are the best person for the job, you can often be ignored because of other things you’re doing when you speak, no matter how good your words are (like we discussed in 3 Ways Your Voice is Ruining Your Credibility).
The right words just aren’t enough.
Hope this video helped you see what’s missing. In a future episode we’ll talk about more ideas to help you build your belief so you can get the results you want. Make sure you’re subscribed to Broad Thoughts so you don’t miss it.
p.s. In case you haven’t seen any of the Saturday Night Live Skits with Stuart Smalley, here is one little taste (just so you don’t think I was totally going crazy in that video):
Image Credit:
© Featureflash | Dreamstime.com – Gabriel Macht Photo
