Sales professionals who find themselves struggling to convince their prospects should draw inspiration from ancient insights
Sales professionals regularly tell me about the deep frustrations they encounter. One of the most common is the prospect who seems so engrossed in their own reality that they can’t see beyond the boundaries they’ve confined themselves within. Perhaps you’ve encountered this too. Whatever facts or figures you bring to the table, the prospect is unwilling to shift their view. Your frustration mounts: you know you can provide a solution that would help them secure a better future. Yet they continue to ignore your advice. You’re ‘just’ a salesperson, after all, hawking your wares for your own financial gain. But that is the last thing on your mind.
As I counsel frustrated sales professionals, I often draw on insights gleaned from ancient Egypt – a fascinating civilization marked by profound sophistication, wisdom and beauty, as evidenced by their advanced social and economic practices. Three lessons stand out.
Intent matters
Intent is a powerful thing. Your intent will drive your actions, and will eventually be seen or felt by your prospects. The ancient Egyptians regarded the kindness of one’s heart as determining whether a person would enjoy an immortal life of bliss in A’aura, the Field of Reeds. The means of entry was available to everyone, from farmer to pharaoh. To pass the test, a person’s heart would be weighed against a single ostrich’s ‘feather of truth.’ Only a kind heart would balance the scale.
In today’s world, sales sometimes seem to be defined as self-interested financial gain: targets hit, prospects developed. Yet in truth, sales is the art of selling with ‘intelligent kindness.’ This is a concept borrowed from the nursing profession, defined by Penelope Campling as a “binding, creative, problem-solving force towards building relationships with patients, recognizing their needs and treating them well.”
Replace the word “patients” with “prospects” and the potential similarities between a salesperson and a nurse are revealed. If you are committed to building a relationship and solving the problem faced by your prospects, through the product or services that you sell, then you have their best interest at heart.
So, what is established in your heart when you are about to meet your prospects? Do you recognize your clients’ needs and keep them to the fore – or do you allow your interests to overshadow theirs? Of course, you must be committed to winning the sale – but the key is to keep your interest in the background while you work hard for your prospect.
When you drive towards your prospect’s goals, working tirelessly to help their interests, a true relationship is built. The sales may or may not come, but you now have an advocate who will recommend you to their closest friends
and associates.
A position of authority
The second insight relates to the importance of building a position of authority.
Imhotep was a vizier and chief architect to the pharaoh Djoser, who reigned between 2630 and 2611 BCE. Through the discovery of the Edith Smith Papyrus, we know that Imhotep and his contemporaries were exploring medical treatment via a ‘modern’ evidence-based approach. Imhotep was full of not only knowledge, but also wisdom about how to apply that knowledge.
In his mortal life, Imhotep was well respected – but it is after death that his story gets really interesting. Over the course of subsequent centuries, Imhotep was increasingly glorified, culminating in his deification as the god of medicine and healing some 2,000 years later.
In Imhotep’s story we see the value of commanding true authority. Authority is defined by Jacques Maritain, the French philosopher who was instrumental in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as the “right to direct and command, to be listened to or obeyed by others.”
As a salesperson, you have to command authority with your prospects, and be acknowledged by them as being someone who knows what they are talking about. Demonstrate that you know your prospects’ needs inside out, and gain deep understanding of your industry. In this way, you’ll gain confidence in your ability to influence your prospects.
Once you have attained a position of authority, seek to serve your prospects as a servant leader.
Servant leadership
Pharaohs from King Djoser, the first builder of pyramids, to Ramesses the Great, shared a single duty with their forefathers: to ensure that Egypt prospered. As the Son of Ra, they were powerful leaders; yet they were duty-bound to remain steadfast in their care of the Egyptians.
As a salesperson, you may not derive royal power from your position – but you should certainly act as a servant leader. Your clients rely on your leadership to help them achieve their aspirations with your product. You need to lead.
Thus, a sales leader must and should be able to say “no” to prospects who are not suitable for the solution being offered. Refusing to sell because you see a detrimental future for your prospects will set you apart from your rivals. It shows abundant intelligent kindness and concern for the wellbeing of your prospects.
Seek to be a servant leader who strives to help prospects become wiser and a better version of themselves. A sales engagement based on servant leadership will change the dynamics of the sales engagement in your favor. Service without leadership is transactional; the opposite is transformational.
Timeless lessons
Ancient Egypt stands as one of the greatest civilizations in history. Its extraordinary stories and characters remind us of our potential in today’s much-changed world. They teach us that sales is a multi-faceted role built on the foundation of self-mastery. Outstanding performance is achievable by anyone who commits to continuous self-development and self-reflection – and recognizes the importance of kind intentions, commanding authority, and servant leadership.
Ivan Yong is a sales coach and mentor, and the author of The Pharaoh’s Pitch: Unearthing Ancient Egyptian Wisdom For Sales Success (LID Publishing)
