Make Yourself Clear

MAKE YOURSELF CLEAR WITH AUTHENTICITY

• What good teachers already do …

Good teachers work hard to understand where their students are, articulate where they want them to be, and think deeply about how to get them there. If that sounds easy, don't forget: you have to factor in that each student has a different collection of prior knowledge, prior experiences, and preferred modes of learning, depending on what is being learned. Also, each student can only become fully invested in his or her learning process, fully “enrolled,” if he or she encounters a sense of familiarity and trust in the classroom. Good teachers build the conditions for full enrollment. Once that is established, learning follows.

• What a seller‐as‐teacher can do …

Often, the seller is in the position of pitching, positioning, and/or persuading his or her audience to purchase a solution, service, or product. If the conversation leads off with something that is rehearsed, generic, and lacking anything to which the prospect can connect, it will not land. To enhance a sales conversation, a seller‐as‐teacher can employ active listening to the conversation before beginning the pitch. Ask a question (or series of questions) and make sure the person or people know you are listening and doing your best to understand.

Your nonverbal cues demonstrate attention (your gaze, your body language, your activity). If you are on a remote call, one easy way to demonstrate you are listening is to share your screen (or a link to a ...