#719 - The Posture of Partnership - 10/2/2026

People don't like to be sold; they like to buy. Lasting relationships come from being a valued partner to your clients. Unfortunately, not all sales professionals see it this way. Many of them are transactional and just looking to close the next deal. But if you are a valued partner the deal doesn't close, the relationship opens.

Assistant Buyer Success Strategies Jimmy discussed his approach to becoming an assistant buyer, inspired by Frank Boettcher's book "How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling." He explained that the assistant buyer posture involves coming alongside clients to help them make decisions rather than pushing products, focusing on building trust and partnership rather than just being a "trusted advisor." Bill shared examples from Carnegie's work and Boettcher's book to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach, including the concept of getting physically or verbally aligned with prospects to build better connections.

Client Partnership Building Strategies Jimmy and Bill discussed strategies for building partnerships with clients rather than treating sales as a transactional process. They emphasized the importance of using language that positions the client as having already made a purchase decision, sitting alongside rather than above clients during discussions, and asking questions to help clients reach conclusions on their own. The conversation included practical advice about physical positioning during client meetings and the importance of focusing on solving client problems rather than using sales techniques that feel manipulative.

Golden Nugget:

"A salesperson cannot know too much, but he or she can talk too much."

Frank Bettger – Author of How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling

Resources:

Bill Hellkamp LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billhellkamp

Bill Hellkamp Website: reachdev.com

Jimmy Z LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimmyzugschwert

Jimmy Z Website: JimmyZSpeaks.com