In This Episode, Andrew Sykes, CEO of Habits at Work and Kellogg professor at Northwestern University, shares practical tips for business owners on how to build trust with customers, craft impactful first impressions, and effectively use empathy in sales interactions.

Sales Tips from Andrew Sykes: 

• “I think of sales as the beautiful opportunity of helping another human being make progress in their lives.”


• “Being fully trustworthy is a combination of having integrity and being skilled at managing the false signals that people use to judge you.”


• “A good salesperson is one part therapist, one part management consultant, and one-part trusted friend and advisor.”


• “Customers decide that they want to buy from you before they decide if or what they want to buy from your company.”


• “Trust is built in drops but lost in buckets.”

Key Takeaways for Business Owners

• Build Trust First: Focus on earning trust by demonstrating integrity, good intentions, and reliability. Trustworthiness is foundational to successful sales.


• Craft Your First Impressions: The first few minutes of an interaction are crucial. Use them to tell your story and explain your ‘why’ to establish trust and connection with potential clients.


• Empathize and Listen: Develop skills in empathic listening to understand what truly matters to your customers. This helps in addressing their real concerns and building stronger relationships.


• Unique Differentiation: Instead of claiming to be the best, highlight what you do uniquely well. Be open about areas where you intentionally don’t focus, which can build trust through honesty.


• Use Technology Wisely: While technology can enhance outreach, it often damages trust if used irresponsibly. Focus on genuine, human interactions rather than automated, impersonal tactics.

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