Confidence is Key, but Humility gives Credibility
Confidence is key when it comes to sales. But if you don’t have plausible humility, that confidence may work against you. According to Geoffrey James, Inc. Magazine, confidence without the humility could come off as sounding cocky and arrogant or at odds with your client’s personal plan of action and that could ultimately cost you the sale. It is more difficult to make a sale if you can’t convince the client that you understand their position, and humility is going to help you do just that.
Use “Wiggle Words”
In your sales presentation structure of Opening, Summary, Context and Business Case you of course demonstrate your confidence and knowledge, demonstrating the research you have done on their company. However, when you get to the summary, it is recommended that you use “wiggle words” like “perhaps” and “approximately” making it clear you have done your research but that you know the customer knows far more about their company than you ever could.
“Have I summarized the situation correctly?”
After that, check in to confirm whether you have approximated their situation correctly.
Time for the “Wriggle Words”
If you were truly humble in your interactions, the customer will usually be pleased you’ve taken the time to research and understand the real issues. And any corrections are easy due to your prior use of “wriggle words.” Due to this terminology, if you made any serious mistakes, you’ve already surfaced the problem before you present the wrong business case solution.
Finish Strong & Make the Sale
Now you can proceed with the rest of the presentation with full confidence and aggression because you showed appropriate humility at the right time and because of this, you now have more credibility with your client and are more likely to make the sale!
Reference Article
The Importance of Humility in Sales by Geoffry James