It was 2005. I’d recently signed a contract to write Selling to Big Companies. I was so excited that a publisher thought my strategies were worth sharing with the world.
To meet my deadline, I’d pretty much cleared my calendar so I could work on it full-time. I’ll never forget sitting down at my desk that first day. I was all set to dig into the introduction.
Then suddenly, I remembered a book I’d read a few months earlier. It said that before you start any project, you should ask yourself, “What’s my highest goal?”
So I did. And after asking myself the question, I answered very glibly: “My highest goal is to help small and medium-sized companies sell their products or services to big companies.”
It was obvious. That was the title of my book. Plus, I wanted to strut my stuff and show just how smart and savvy I was!
After all, that’s what the guys who’d written best-selling sales books did. So, I thought it was obvious I should do the same.
But no sooner had the words come out of my mouth than I heard a deep voice say, “NO, IT’S NOT!”
I was stunned. I was the only one in the room. I’d never heard a voice like that before. I just sat there in shock, not knowing what to do.
Then the voice spoke again. It said, “Your job is to help them feel that it’s possible.”
I sat at my desk quietly, taking in this new directive. It changed everything. I couldn’t be the hotshot. That would be intimidating — especially for small business owners or independent professionals.
Instead, I needed to talk about rebuilding my business after losing my two biggest clients during the previous year’s recession. I needed to share the challenges I ran into.
I needed to talk about the new approaches I was experimenting with — and what I had learned. Finally, I could share what I’d discovered would work in the changing business environment we were all navigating.
In short, I needed to be vulnerable. That’s downright scary—especially when you’re hoping to be seen as an expert.
Yet ultimately, that’s what made my book a best-seller. People could relate to the challenges I faced and the fears that I had. It was exactly what they were facing. Plus, it led to so many other opportunities that I could never have imagined.
So, I’ll challenge you to ask that same question when you start a new endeavor. You might be very surprised at the big difference it can make!
