There is an icy slab of rock with a ghoulish reputation one mile below the summit of the Eiger. It holds the key to a successful summit of its north face, and up until 1936 it was considered uncrossable. In July 1936 a four-man crew consisting of Andreas Hinterstoisser, Edi Ranier, Willy Angerer and Toni Kurz perished as they were attempting to summit the north face, but not before Hinterstoisser cracked the code to traversing the slab. He performed an ingenious manoeuvre to get across and attached ropes so that his colleagues could join him.
The Hinterstoisser Traverse
When injury and bad weather forced them to abandon their attempt, they were unable to retrace their steps back across the rock as they had removed the ropes when they originally cleared it. They were forced to abseil down but all four died before they reached the bottom. The rock was subsequently called the Hinterstoisser Traverse in honour of the man who had solved the riddle. The cruel tale of the fate of these four men is told in the harrowing film North Face (2008).
There were a number of other fatal attempts on the north face until finally a team consisting of two Germans and two Austrians conquered it in 1938. One of the members, Heinrich Harrer, tells the story in the mountaineering classic, “The White Spider” (1959).
I often use the story of the Hinterstoisser Traverse as an analogy to illustrate that in order to achieve something of significance – in this case winning big business – you need certain fundamentals in place. In this case it’s a great relationship with your client or prospect.
Listening
The most important aspect of my work as a business coach is the development of a strong relationship with my client. I do this by listening without judgement and developing a clear understanding of the issues at play. If my client feels seen, heard and understood they feel like I’m on their wavelength and they trust me. It opens up a vista for some very good work. This is the first step in building trust – the key to making any relationship thrive
Taking this approach with your client in the sales space nets a similar result. If you are able to firmly articulate what you are hearing and seeing when they discuss their issues they are going to want to see what you have to offer. Displaying an understanding of your buyer’s beliefs and concerns is the best way to show empathy.
Educating
Empathy creates listening in the prospect. Once you’ve done this you can now show them your wares. Bear in mind that this won’t accomplish anything if what you’re offering is more of the same. There needs to be a significant point of difference between you and your competitors. This is done by having a better articulation of your prospect’s concerns but also by being able to identify and cater for needs that even they weren’t aware of before you came along.
The ideal result is that the prospect develops a service specification that they wouldn’t have without knowing you. This should play into your strong points – not those of your opponents.
From then on, similar to crossing the Hinterstoisser Travers, there’s still a long way to go. But, if what you design and develop for them is built on this foundation you are on firm ground and stand a great chance of winning the business.
What Next?
For more tailored advice on how to win more business click on the link below to arrange a conversation. You can also fill out this business development scorecard for further insights.
