Sales Weaknesses or Sales Superpowers?

I recently attended a (virtual) book reading. One of the hosts made the observation that what had started out as a subject of insecurity for the visiting author ultimately became her superpower. Let’s talk more about that—specifically about the characteristics we view as weaknesses that might actually wind up being superpowers in the sales world. And no, this isn’t going to be one of those toxic arguments for callousness or bullying (with apologies to Glengarry Glen Ross, which I’m going to admit I still have to see). Rather, I want to look at a few traits that we usually label as flaws, but which don’t have to be in the context of sales.

BEING AN OVER-SHARER

This is one you’ll hear Mike Valade, Maestro’s Chief Client Officer, proudly acknowledge during trainings. “I am an over-sharer,” he’ll say. At first, this may sound like a weakness, but it’s actually a trait that Mike uses to his advantage. Having a candid conversation and sharing details about yourself allows the person you’re talking to to view you in the category of family or friends, says Mike, which in turn makes it easier for them to impart information about themselves, human to human.

So, being generous with facts about your recent pickleball disaster (I, a non-pickleball player, imagine pickleball as a series of pickleball disasters), your obsession with dogs, or other tidbits, can actually encourage a comfortable atmosphere that makes your prospect or client feel able to speak openly, which you want. An open conversation is one that lets you see where a deal is headed and possibly even what its risk factors are.

BEING NOSY

Let’s, as they say, reframe. Being nosy is another way of saying being curious. As a salesperson, you’re going to have to truly understand your audience: their pain points, what they consider success, what they eat for breakfast. Just kidding with that last one. Please don’t stalk people. But do go down the (legally-permissible) rabbit hole of the internet and use its resources to find out what problems they—and clients like them—may need to solve. Know their professional backgrounds. Depending on how personalized your outreach can be, know when they’ve appeared on a podcast or when someone has written an article about them. There are tools for this. But a pretty good prompt to make you actually use these tools? Nosiness. Curiosity.

Not to mention, asking good questions is one of the most important instruments you have as a salesperson. See? Nosiness! Curiosity!

BEING NEW TO THE GAME

Sales is hard. It’s a learning curve. Talk to almost any salesperson, and chances are you’ll hear things like: “It took a long time for me to…” But being new also means approaching the sales world with a blank slate and presumably a willingness to learn. Both of these can result in forming educated guiding principles in sales, rather than, say, resting on your laurels. They also allow you to learn from a variety of sources, giving you a well-rounded toolbox. In other words, being new (hopefully) makes you more likely to do your homework.

BEING BRAGGARTLY

This has the potential to be annoying at parties, it’s true. But, when deployed tactfully, within reason, bragging can mean making sure that the advantages of the product you’re selling don’t go unnoticed. Keep in mind that it’s possible to practice what I’d call collective bragging. This can mean emphasizing features of your client/their business, while tying these back to your product, or bragging about your client in a future scenario that sees them employing your service and reaching their true potential. For example, “Your software solves the X problem everyone in the Y sector has been struggling with. It should be selling Z subscriptions a month.”

By the way, Mike will tell you that this applies internally, as well. Don’t skim over the details of your wins when sharing them with your boss, for example. “As a salesperson, you’re only as good as that company feels [you are]… right now.”

BEING CHATTY

Is this something you’ll have to rein in at times? Absolutely. But channel your chattiness into storytelling, and you’re giving yourself a leg up in sales. People tend to remember stories far more readily than they do statistics or facts, which means that storytelling can help fasten your product’s values in your prospect’s mind.

So, am I suggesting that you begin a call by telling your prospect the details of your recent breakup, asking them about their dating life, telling them you’re the greatest thing since HubSpot, and then launching into a two-hour account of your morning commute? No. Unless I really dislike you. And it’s pretty difficult to get on my dislike list. But take a second look at some of the qualities you consider shortcomings and think about whether there’s a part of them that could be useful—maybe even necessary—to your work as a sales professional.

Need help harnessing your curiosity? Check out Maestro’s Good Questions online learning module!