Mindsets – how we think, our philosophies, our point of view……these are the hallmarks of top producers – the Rainmakers of the world. As in previous months, we now take a look at one of the ‘secrets’ of top producers – how they connect with others!
The Connecting Mindset
Rainmakers excel in making introductions and helping others. That’s what we call “the connecting mindset”, and it’s something that the men and women who sell the most almost always have.
While strong salespeople like to ask for referrals, many are not equally as active in returning the favor and give their customers the names and contact information for other people who could help them. Or, they may occasionally introduce clients to one another if they see an obvious need, but tend not to give it much thought. In the same way, they often confine their mentoring, information-sharing, and charitable work to what they think will help their sales career.
Top salespeople with the connecting mindset, on the other hand, approach each of these from the opposite point of view.
That’s because connectors have a habit of “paying it forward,” as many of us may remember from the movie by that name. Rainmakers look for ways they can bring about change, bring like-minded people together, and bring more knowledge and understanding into the world. Best of all, they do it with little or no thought to what they’ll get in return. They simply know that the more they put into their life and career, the more they’ll get out of it. For that reason, they are just happy to share whatever they can.
Not only is this a much more satisfying way to work, but it also tends to be a lot more effective. That’s because, the more you demonstrate a helping nature, the more likable, trustworthy, and genuine you are. Additionally, doing good things for your clients and others makes you feel great about yourself, which in turn builds your confidence and makes you a more effective sales producer.
Having a connecting mindset is one of the easiest habits you can make, since it really just involves looking for different ways you can pitch in and help your customers… or anyone else, for that matter. In time, the mindset becomes second nature, and you will start being known as the kind of person who can help people, but also one that others want to help, in turn.
With the rise of social media sites, being a connector is certainly easier. If you know of another salesperson, supplier, or professional who could help one of your customers, set up and host a meeting between them and indicate how you feel the two might benefit from each other. Encourage them to interact and connect. And while virtual introductions are certainly strong, even more powerful is the in-person meeting.
The best salespeople know that a connecting mindset and the commitment to help will lead to the right things. They know that they more they give, the more, in time, they get.
Are you giving as much as you could be?
Think about it


