I work with a charitable organisation that gives veterans access to the Arts. The last three years have been dominated by the play Soldier On, which has gone from strength to strength… and tested the patience of my wife and family, who thought I was just going to do the play reading!
This year we found ourselves in Toronto: a two-week run at a fantastic 250-seater theatre. We needed an audience, so we went leafleting in the local market.
So here I am: sales trainer, communication expert, personal impact coach – surely I’d be teaching these young whippersnappers how it’s done? Well, I was terrible. People accelerated past me as I waved a leaflet at them imploring them to see our play.
And then there was Dean. His method was simple.
Inspiring curiosity to make a connection
Dean: Can ask you a question?
Passerby: (curious) Okay.
Dean: Did you buy a poppy on Remembrance Sunday?
Passerby: (passionate) Yes, I did. I always do.
Dean: Can I ask why?
Passerby: (opening up) My grandfather was in the military, so I think it’s important to support them.
Dean: I agree. I’m a veteran.
Passerby: (genuine interest) Where did you serve?
And you can guess that within minutes, this passerby was pulling the leaflet out of Dean’s hand.
Some may say this is an obvious approach, but so often in sales, it’s easy to forget that the main focus should be engaging people emotionally. Making a connection. Sparking curiosity.
Dean gave us all a reminder of that, as well as a lesson on how it’s done.
Curiosity may have killed that cat, but it’s a powerful sales tool that increases engagement and changes the conversation.
If you think your team could benefit from learning how best to spark curiosity and make that connection, just drop us a line!
David Solomon
Managing Director, Sun and Moon Training
Picture © David Solomon