By Gretchen Gordon, a Partner with Braveheart Sales Performance and the best-selling author of The Happy Sales Manager
One’s personal history impacts decisions they make, and this includes during sales interactions. And it happens on both sides of the table, to the seller and the purchaser.
AS A SELLER:
If a seller has been frequently told “no,” they tend to assume that a new prospect, one who has never told them “no” before, is somehow going to raise the same objections others have raised. Of course, they might, but the salesperson can’t know that they will. However, many salespeople prepare their entire sales conversation based on the assumption that the prospect is going to object.
And the most egregious cause of this pattern is price objections. Frequently, if a salesperson loses just one sale to a price objection, then suddenly “our price is too high.” The salesperson goes into the meeting expecting a price objection, prepared to discount to show good faith, and to win the opportunity. So, guess what? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and tanks your profit.
ON THE BUYER’S SIDE:
Purchasers have been attacked, harassed, cajoled, and browbeaten by all sorts of bad salespeople because let’s face it, most salespeople are inferior. Therefore, prospects expect the worst from your sales team.
They know when a sales trick is being used on them. They are prepared to ask for a lower price, because “it won’t hurt to ask” and it seems to work with most salespeople.
Ultimately, the inferior salesperson will discount out of fear of losing the deal (and probably because they were expecting to have to discount). This scenario becomes a commonplace occurrence, and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sellers cave on price and buyers ask for it because sellers cave on price, repeatedly.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
- Require conscious call planning sessions. Have them prepare for possible responses, and yes, even the common objections, and have them practice what they will say and do in various scenarios.
- Your sales process must focus on value and what matters to the prospect. Ensure your salespeople ask emotion questions about what matters to the prospect, both about what the prospect is trying to achieve and what they are trying to avoid. Get away from pushing products.
- Help your team understand the impact of discounting and caving to price objections. Show them by calculating how many more sales they must close, if they discount vs selling the full value of the products and services delivered.
It is hard to ignore our past experiences but give your team a chance by following the steps above. It requires practice and process. Don’t let history disrupt your team’s future sales success. Take charge of it.
Download the first chapter, buy the book or download the workbook here:
braveheartsales.com/thehappysalesmanager-book
This article originally appeared in Issue 11 of the Security Dealer Digest.