How Helpful Are You?

The H in our AUTHENTIC acronym stands for Helpful, and this is the fourth characteristic of the Authentic Selling model.

Now, being helpful is an easy enough concept to understand because we all know what NOT being helpful looks like. It’s the dismissive brushoff you get when you ask a restaurant server for something only to be told, “I’m sorry, you are not my table.” Then there’s what I call “gracious indifference.” This is what is happening when someone is telling you what you want to hear, but you know very well they really couldn’t care less about your problem; they are just trying to get you and your issue out of their way. They might seem friendly enough, but in the end, they are rarely helpful.

It is easy to be helpful to someone when they are buying something from you. You’re in the moment, and their satisfaction is your sole focus. Our Authentic Selling model says you should bring that same attention, interest and energy to all aspects of your relationship—before the sale, during the sale and long after you close the deal.

I work with several people in the contract furniture business. I know how easy it is for them to be helpful while handling a $500,000 order for a good client. But what happens 18 months later when one of this client’s employees—someone you don’t know—calls and says the arm of their desk chair is broken? Do you take care of it, or do you put them off? How you handle that one broken chair says quite a lot about how helpful you really are to your clients. That one call could turn into a defining moment.

I’m convinced that it’s what you do regarding the small stuff that defines how helpful you truly are with someone. It’s so easy to respond to small requests with an “I’ll-get-around-to-it-soon” attitude. But that’s NOT helpful, and it’s NOT authentic either.

Being helpful means being consistent in your thoughtfulness and availability. It’s about doing the small stuff, the tough task or the pain-in-the-neck favor that comes your way. It’s how you respond to those day-in-and-day-out situations that defines you as helpful or not helpful.