A few years ago my dentist once told me I had two cavities--one was a tiny one and the other quite large. "Which one do you want me to do first?" The dentist asked. I didn't hesitate a second. "The small one," I said. "OK," he replied. "We'll get the other one next week." That was a long seven days -- I spent so much time worrying about my next appearance in the dentist's chair. I learned that it was better to tackle the tough ones first. Tough Customer The point we are trying to make is that selling involves many decisions similar to the one at my dentist. Let's say a salesperson has six prospect calls to make in a certain week. Two of the prospects are really tough and have resisted them and others for some time. The other four are much easier and should go in a positive way. What should the salesperson do? Take the sure bets and let the two others go for another day, or meet the problem head-on? The answer: Put the two toughies right at the top of the call list.

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By all means, the salesperson should hit the tough ones first. They may not sell those customers, but even so they will accomplish two important things: (1) overcome their fear of formidable opposition, and (2) gather information and insight that will enable them to eventually get an order. And there's also the advantage of conducting the interview in the morning when they are fresh and alert. If a prospect is a hard nut to crack, the effort should be made when the salesperson is in top form.

But to get back to the idea of overcoming fear: this is the hang-up with many salespeople. They simply can't gear themselves up to call on a prospect that will give them a rough time. They either lack confidence in themselves or imagine the buyer to be tougher than they are. Let's discuss both of these possibilities.

Lack Of Confidence

The salesperson that lacks confidence lacks the ability to reach the top of their profession. Without self-confidence, they're just going through the motion of selling. Is lack of confidence an incurable ailment or is there an antidote? Obviously some people can't be shaken loose from their problem and should not be salespeople at all. These are a minority, however. For most people, the solution is right in front of them, if they'll only grab it.

Fear and absence of confidence go hand in hand. If a salesperson pushes beyond their fears their confidence will be naturally restored. Why don't they go to the tough prospect's office and find out for themselves what sort of person the prospect is? However unpleasant the experience might be, the salesperson won't be eaten alive.

Trial Run

If you have been putting off calling on a so-called impossible prospect, don't delay any longer. Phone them for an appointment and see them at your earliest convenience -- or theirs. They may be everything you heard about them and they may also turn you down. But it's still not a lost cause. You've gained a great deal just by breaking the ice and meeting them. You've had a chance to study them, to probe for their likes, dislikes, and weaknesses. You've let them take a look at you and your company. No longer are you a faceless entity representing your company. For them you now have a face, a name, and a personality.

Why The Tough Ones?

The tough prospects usually turn out to be the best customers. Research has shown that they are the most dependable, make quicker decisions, pay their bills on time, and are more loyal. In short, the effort made in getting such business is more than worth it.

Certain customers demand more and take more of your time. They're more exacting, seek more information, and are more precise in their specifications. You need to take painstaking notes on their requests and complaints. Spend some time discussing their business problems with them. The tough buyers generally hand out the biggest orders. These buyers know that they're making a large investment and want to be sure they are getting their money's worth.

Make Tough Ones Easier

The veneer of toughness can be removed if the salesperson comes in with a quality presentation, keeps their promises, is alert to the buyer's problems, and pays serious attention to their objectives. In time the buyer will come to feel that the seller is in their corner and some of their reserve will melt away. This will take time. Don't count on it happening on the first or second call. But if the salesperson stays with it, toughness, and even hostility, can be eliminated successfully.

Don't Take Easy Ones For Granted

There's a lesson here for salespeople. After you've overcome the big hurdle, don't quit the fight. This may be where your hardest battle is. You've received the first order from the tough buyer but that does not mean that they're in your pocket forever. You must keep shoring up your victory. You must let them know that this is only the beginning, that you intend to make them permanently glad they singled you out for their business.

The moment the formerly tough customer becomes a snap to sell, you had better re-evaluate them. Don't take them for granted. Pretend that they're still somewhat difficult to penetrate and that you must keep working at it.

Get Others Behind You

Always remember that you have allies in helping you nail the tough ones. Many salespeople do not take advantage of them. The allies are your company and the support people within it. They have as great a stake as you do in getting new business. They will be more than happy to cooperate with you in dealing with a cold, difficult prospect. The support team includes your president, sales vice president, sales trainer, marketing director, customer service people, managers, and so forth. You may not need all of them, but pick out the ones you can use and ask them for assistance. It may be one of the best moves you ever made.

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About Sales Focus Inc. Sales Focus Inc. is a consulting, training and outsourcing company that focuses strictly on sales. We help our clients during these difficult times to take business away from the competition. In down economic times, focused companies will not only survive, but also thrive! We offer cost containment and profit enhancement solutions. Profit enhancement is a different mindset than cost cutting. Cost cutting means doing less of something; profit enhancement implies doing more of something that will boost the bottom line. We represent the concept of focused profit enhancement solutions. Sales Focus is driven towards a single goal: "Generating Immediate Revenue for our Clients!" Whether it's implementing our S.O.L.D. Methodology, Developing Specialized Training Programs or Launching an Outsourced Sales Force, we remain focused on the goal of TACTICALLY GENERATING RAPID REVENUE.

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