Equal business stature is a concept we've talked about applying to interactions with doctors. But it can also apply to interactions the other way around as well. Let's see how one of my fellow Sandler offices saw this first-hand.
I was visiting with another Sandler office recently, and my counterpart there was doing business with a company that installed garage doors. He got hired by the CEO of this garage door company to come to their location and do training.
Typically, he wears a coat and tie to work every day. So of course, he showed up at their location to do training at 7am in a coat and tie.
Have you ever had a garage door contractor come to your house? Were they wearing a coat and tie?
Of course not!
I talked to him after that first training session, and he said, "Man, it just didn't seem like they paid attention."
I asked him a few questions. One question was, "What were they wearing?"
"Well, most of them were wearing jeans, work boots, some of them had on ball caps, that sort of thing."
I said, "So why did you wear a coat and a tie?"
He said, "That's what I always wear?"
I said, "Do this next time. Wear a ball cap and jeans. When you show up next time, also wear jeans and work boots. Conduct training the exact same way, only change what you're wearing."
He called me after the next training session.
"That was the best training I think I've ever done for a client!"
"Why?" I asked.
"They connecting with me. They really bought into what I was saying. And all I did was dress differently!"
See, it wasn't what he was sharing. Obviously, that had to be good. But they disconnected with him because they saw him as someone who thought he was better than them.
Equal business stature is huge, and it works both ways. You have to make a conscious effort to put yourself on the same level with the other person if you want them to take you seriously.
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