Are you trying too hard to be perfect?

George Orwell wrote: “The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.”

Being human is messy.

Yet, we spend an inordinate amount of time and effort trying to teach sellers how to be perfect.

The perfect cold call. The perfect email subject line. The perfect call script. The perfect demo.

Blah, blah, blah.

Perfection doesn’t exist in sales. Nor should you waste your time seeking it.

You can’t be yourself if you’re always striving to be perfect.

That’s just playing the role of a seller. Like an actor on stage. That’s a performance that buyers have rejected time and time again.

How about if you focus on just being you instead?

Sell the way that will work best for you.

It takes a little experience, and a lot of experimentation, to learn what that will be.

It’s important not to let yourself be held captive by a particular sales method, process or technology.

There will always be a bright shiny new object in sales. Some fad that people will flock to.

Raw diamonds are cut with many flat surfaces, called facets, that catch the light and make the stone shine.

So, too, there are many facets to being a human that shines to others.

Be trustworthy.

Be curious.

Be helpful.

Ask; don’t tell.

Serve; don’t sell.

Listen before you talk.

Give; don’t take.

Deliver value.