3 Things that Sink Most Companies—An Interview with Dan Waldschmidt

RainToday.com's Podcast: Marketing & Selling Professional Services

Look at a company that's struggling to make sales, and chances are three things are holding it back. One of those things is selfishness. Focus less on what you can get from buyers and more on what you can do for them, and success is inevitable, says sales trainer Dan Waldschmidt.

"It doesn't matter what sales process you have. If you're a selfish jerk, no one wants to do business with you," Waldschmidt says. "And our sales forces and our marketing forces are full of selfish behaviors. People don't have time to care about you and what products you're selling. They care about themselves. They're trying to survive. They're trying to live."

Businesses and sales organizations must be ruthless when it comes to selfishness, he adds. They have to be kind and empathetic to customers, and they need to inspire them to want to buy their services.

"Because when it's all about you, no one else cares. But when it's all about someone else, they care a bunch," he says.

Listen as Waldschmidt discusses:

• The three things that cause most businesses to fail
• The need for emotional intelligence in the sales process
• How to harness the power of empathy and kindness to succeed
• Why you can't copy one person's methods and expect the same success