If you've ever 'managed-up', you've sold

If you've ever “managed-up”, you've sold.  

I’ll give you an example. A friend of mine learned how to deal with her boss better by cutting out the ask for feedback after sharing her action plans.

We’ve all had a boss that has jumped in and screwed up or delayed our plans simply because the option was made available to them when we asked...

“What do you think?”

She realized that she really didn’t care what he thought and she was making more work for herself by inviting him to share. 

This pivot meant less headaches and more autonomy. 

Here’s how this skill transfers to sales…

In sales, we call this strategy the “Assumptive Ask”. It’s when you say what should happen instead of asking. 

You use the assumptive ask to control the conversation and make sure it moves forward instead of off the tracks.

Here's an example:

• Instead "When do you think makes sense to reconnect?" say, "Let’s connect by X date for Y reason. Does time A or time B work better for you?"

If this seems oddly close to icky sales, remember this…

The person that you make an assumptive ask to (whether your former boss OR your current prospect) has the power to say “No”. 

People can always say no—you don’t have to give them an easy out. Ask confidently. See what happens.

Good luck out there!