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Let's face it. Lots of prospects see your sales call as an interruption from the important things they feel they ought to be doing. A salesperson is often viewed as an intruder, a money-grabber, and sometimes even a beggar. At best, many polite prospects tend to see themselves as being nice to a fellow human, or actually doing you a favor.
Prospects are typically given no idea what the salesperson is about to do. They feel much like it would feel like to be in a dentist's chair and have the dentist just begin digging and drilling, without the dentist telling you what they are about to do and why. Unless you can change that basic attitude and atmosphere, you're a dead duck before you get started.
What do these very natural feelings of a prospect mean to you? Before selling can begin, tension and fear of the unknown must be greatly reduced or eliminated. Prospects must come to feel that you are a trustworthy and creditable person, that you have something important to say to them, and that they might ultimately benefit enough to justify the time they invest in listening to you.
That's a big order, isn't it? But let's add one more dimension to make it even bigger. You have to accomplish all of that in a matter of minutes-- sometimes even in seconds.
Here are two very effective strategies we have taught to many sales professionals.
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First, you have to win the inner game 
Prospects can read you like a book. They can instantly sense your confidence level, your attitude about selling and what you are selling, your feelings toward them, and your personal comfort level at being with them. It shows in your eyes, your gestures and movements, and even in your tone of voice.
You simply can't consistently fake your way through the inner game of selling and be a winner in the outer game. "But I can't change the way I think and feel!" is a common protest. WRONG! You can change even your most basic attitudes and thoughts. It begins when you start replacing your negative, self-limiting thoughts with positive thoughts and beliefs.
If you want to experience a real change in the way prospects see you, start feeding positive thoughts into your mind -- thoughts like these:
 | Selling is an honorable profession that is worthy of my best efforts. |
| My purpose for being here is to enable this person to discover what is not meeting their expectations, thus what he or she wants most (not needs but wants), and how to get it. |
| I am a value generator for this person and for all of my clients. |
| I concentrate on being significant and seeking to deliver it. |
| The company I represent is a solid firm which seeks to deliver greater value than the competition. |
| What I'm selling has a greater value to people than the money they will pay for it. |
| My prices are not too high. |
| I will see to it that they get what they pay for, and more. |
| I am a capable and confident salesperson. |
| I will not rely upon high pressure or persistence to make this sale, but will concentrate on making a high impact upon this customer. |
| When I finish this interview, the buyer and I will be totally clear on what the next step is to be. |
| It is perfectly OK for the buyer to say "No." |
Not one of these statements is an artificial claim that you cannot back up with facts. If you have a problem believing any of them, let me urge you to work through them until you can honestly say them to yourself. When you start seeing yourself in that light, you'll be happily surprised at how much more warmly your prospects will receive you.
Second, you must create trust and creditability
The natural condition which exists at the beginning of any selling situation is tension. We could talk for days about all of the factors that cause such tension, but you've probably experienced enough of it to know how real it is. The fact is that tension will exist until you take action to reduce or eliminate it. So let's focus on what you can do about it.
Here are three techniques we have found to be very helpful in eliminating the tension and creating an atmosphere of trust and creditability.
Eliminate any unnecessary tension inducers before making the sales call. Get present in the moment. At the time of any sales call, that is the only buyer you have. So clear your mind of the last sales call, the problems back at the office, a phone message you did not like and any other self-limiting thoughts. Get present and give that buyer 100% of your attention. Also keep your judgments, emotions and criticism out in the hall.
Look for tangible ways to help your clients relax. A quiet manner, a mild sense of humor, and a warm smile can go a long way toward breaking down barriers between you and your prospects. One of the best ways to relax someone is to be as much like them as possible. Match and mirror their physiology and behaviors. A good example would be if they offer you a cup of coffee, simply ask if they are going to have one? If they say no you say no, if they say yes you say yes. Also match their voice tone and pace. The quickest way to get a buyer to totally tune you out is to talk either faster or slower than they do.
Be a good guest. Ask permission before you do anything. I remember riding with a sales person who walked into a buyer's office and moved things around on his desk and set up their computer for a power point presentation. The look on the buyer's face told me exactly how they felt. It was over! Early in the meeting, ask permission to ask a lot of questions and if it is okay to interrupt if you do not understand something. Ask the buyer how much time they have allowed for the meeting. Whatever amount of time they say, honor it. Not until they can trust you with something as minor as respecting their time request, can they trust you with bigger responsibilities. Give the buyer a lot of strokes. Even if the buyer gives you a stroke or a compliment, give it right back to them. Say something like, "thank you but you made it easy for me to..."
Remember, tension is the natural state that exists in the selling situation. It won't just go away on its own. You have to take positive steps to create the kind of trust which eliminates or reduces the tension before you can ever begin selling.
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What is YOUR sales Challenge?
Ask Max the sales questions you want answered.
Ask Max. |
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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.
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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.
For more Information or to see if we are a good fit with your company, contact us directly, 866.840.8305 or 410.442.5600, send us an email at info@SalesFocusInc.com or visit our web site: www.SalesFocusInc.com. Request a free white paper while calling us or visiting our website.
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Sales Focus Inc.
3210 Florence Road, Suite B
Woodbine, Maryland 21797
P. 410.442.5600
F. 410.442.5102
Toll Free: 866.840.8305
URL: www.SalesFocusInc.com
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