Dov Gordon is one of Israel’s leading consultants in the disciplins of management and strategy.

His workshop this week in Jerusalem focused on creating a “selling system to bring you all the customers you want”.  A 5-stage approach, I was particularly interested in the middle element. “The potential customer must feel that you, the vendor, understand their needs and wants”.

There is nothing new in this psychological element. Dov’s added value was to sum up the issue in a concise manner, clearly driving home its place in the selling cycle. From there, Dov encourages the seminar participant to evaluate the tools and tactics required to achieve this vital sub-goal.

OK, but why do so many sales people ignore this part of the game?

As I write, it is Tuesday morning. However, I have already encountered two clients this week, who in effect are happy to wait for clients to come to them. Word-of-mouth, or a website hit, or otherwise will drive the next pay check through the door. In other words, the “pre nuptial chit chat” will be a brief formality, hopefully.

It does not take me too long to show them the fallacy involved in this thought process. What is of more concern is how they arrived at that juncture.

One theme that remains prevalent in many of my discussions is that of “fear”. What happens if I get it wrong? Heidi Grant Halvorson describes this as the “do good” impulse outbidding the desire to “do better”.

The irony is that all this pressure to be good results in many more mistakes, and far inferior performance, than would a focus on getting better. 

And in a sales situation? There are people, who will find any excuse not to look for clients. Surely it would be better to reel in the bait, maybe even try too hard, fail, but at least you will know for the next time.

You might even learn how to understand new clients that bit better.