Deal Japanisation

I had a thoroughly enjoyable supper on Polk in downtown San Francisco Saturday evening. One dining companion had a fascinating backstory.

From fleeing Burma at the time of an authoritarian crackdown when 14 to living in Japan for over a decade, he certainly was one American who thankfully knows about the world beyond his native shores.

A prominent speaker, he now helps people with sales strategy.

His time in Japan shapes how he considers framing a sale.

One concept he always endeavours to introduce can be summarised thus;

how are we going to make sure that what we may agree today, will still be beneficial for us both some time off, further down the line?

He spent a compelling few minutes talking about his views on sales sustainability. It certainly pushed an open door with me.

We often hear reps go on about ‘win-win’ and similar constructs. But really, they are mainly empty words.

How often have you sat with a prospect and truly discussed what our shared landscape will be like in, say, three years time?

I myself used to deploy a line like this to evoke what a winning solution from me would unleash and give comfort that I wasn’t just thinking about my own deadlines or commission;

…imagine we’re sitting here together a year from now, what do you hope will have happened in the previous twelve months?

Whilst my Japanista friend would go beyond this mere foot in the water, this principle may just be a key way in which you separate yourself from the competition, genuinely put yourself in your prospect’s shoes, and help keep customers ‘for life’.