I was speaking with a VP of Sales for an industrial manufacturer. His team is humming, revenue is strong, and he’s got a calm about him normally reserved for people who are decidedly not VPs of Sales for industrial manufacturers.

I asked him, “What makes you guys special? There are other manufacturers out there who make things very similar, if not almost identical to you. The product isn’t unique, so how do you stand out in the market?”

“Jeff, I think it’s the handshake. We’re out in the field, we’re in front of customers, and sometimes I hear that I’m the first rep who sells what I sell they’ve seen in almost a year. The service matters.”

I think he’s onto something, and I think it goes way deeper than he’s intimating here. Let’s dig in.

If I had a nickel for every time I read that on LinkedIn, I’d have a lot of nickels… It’s true, but it’s trite, and a portion of my soul leaves my body every time I read it.

Yes, it’s nice to have a drink or a bite to eat with interesting people, especially when there might be a way to advance your business and career. But there’s more to it than that.

Ever since the COVID pandemic forced us to connect through screens, the pendulum has swung back toward something more familiar. While some can’t wait to get back in their homes and attend meetings half-dressed, there’s never been a better time to leverage the scarcity of being in the same room as your customers.

Your prospect is not craving connection. She’s buried underneath too many projects to prioritize and a seven-layer dip of paperwork, along with the learning curve of three poorly integrated software programs that are supposed to make those things much easier.

The Handshake says, “You’re worth getting on a plane or in my car to come and visit. What you do is important, and I believe I can help. If you’re willing to spare fifteen minutes for me, despite all that other stuff, I’m willing to put in a few hours to come see you and talk about the stuff that really matters.”

It lands because of the cost. Your prospect understands the value of time, and now she realizes how much of yours she is worth to you. Anybody can send a value message in an email, and she probably gets 50 a day. There are only so many people worth a plane ticket or a tank of gas for, and now she knows she’s one of them.

Remember when we all had to learn video conferencing and get comfortable being on camera? It felt like nothing should have changed.

You could still (usually) see your prospect, read their body language, and communicate the same message. The problems were familiar, the terms of the deals didn’t really change, and the solutions were the same.

Still, something felt off. Going from in-person to video felt like it was missing something, and it was. There’s an energy exchanged between two people in the same room. It may not be tangible, but it’s palpable.

That’s the thing we’ll always need to lean into, and it’s really what The Handshake is. Beyond the gesture itself, it’s the feeling you get when someone firmly grasps your hand, makes eye contact, and properly introduces themselves. Your presence, your body language, your gravitas are on full display.

Think of the memorable first impressions you’ve gotten (I’ve got a few in mind right now), try to remember how many that haven’t been so indelible, and recognize the difference. Some of those handshakes meant something, while others, not so much.

“But I can get so much more done”
“I really like the flexibility.”
“I can cover a larger geography.”

All of these things are true in some cases. In others, you have to really ask yourself some tough questions.

“Are they the right things to do?”
“Is it hurting your focus?”
“Would digging deeper in a smaller area be better?”

Ask yourself, where would a Handshake make an impact?

I hear there aren’t many people willing to offer them these days.

Some of my friends have big LinkedIn followings, but it isn’t often I get to hang with an actual influencer, let alone a robe-fluencer.

They say don’t meet your heroes. I met Libby Clary in Austin last week anyway, and I’m glad I did. She’s a ball of energy and a riot to talk to. She also knows her way around a sales process and has the tenacity to stick it out in startup land.

I have a lot of things. A tolerance for the startup environment isn’t one of them.

It’s a good feeling when someone in your network is that willing to welcome you in their town. I’m grateful to her for taking my calls and for the memes in the DMs.

Thanks, Libby, you rock.

My travel calendar is starting to fill with new clients and new hands to shake. Any chance I can shake yours?

If you’ve got a kickoff coming and you’re looking for an impactful workshop, let’s chat about it.

Cheers,
JB