|
Selling to
Difficult People
We
all have people whom we find difficult. We don't understand
them, connect with them, or even talk comfortably with them.
But, for sales people, seeing someone as difficult gets in
our way of our selling effectively and their buying
wisely.
It is easy
to blame the other person. They are the ones that are
difficult. But, the truth is, if you find someone difficult,
for sure they will find you just as difficult. And, if you
are difficult, they don't want to work with you. You lose
the sale. They take their business elsewhere.
It is just
human nature to dig in our heals when we are irritated. We
get demanding. We want them to change. We want them to be
like the folks we find easy to deal with. And they feel the
same way. They dig in their heals. They want us to change.
When we don't change, they leave. They do not buy, even if
we have the perfect solution to their needs.
Selling to
difficult people works best when we step back and let them
set the stage for our sales call. Follow their pace. Give
them information in the way they best understand Speak to
their needs. When we start where they are, it is more likely
we will lead them to the sale.
Sally told
her prospects so much, so fast, everyone was overwhelmed.
She was stuck on fast forward. She truly believed the faster
the sales presentation, the more sales a day she could make.
Yet when she finally slowed down, she made fewer
presentations but many more sales.
Howard was
determined to sell the Johnson family a new computer. He had
the perfect model for them. He explained all the details of
the high powered chips and large memory caches. This model
was big, lots of room for a variety of programs could run at
the same time. Young Bill hung on every word Howard said.
Mom and Dad's eyes glazed over. They just wanted a computer
that would be easy to set up and use. And, they wanted to
connect to on-line services. The model Howard was selling
was perfect for the Johnson's family's needs. But Howard
focused on the features he found exciting. They didn't
understand how those features fit their needs. Finally they
said they would keep looking. Howard lost the sale.
Both Sally
and Howard made the same mistake. They went with their own
comfort and needs, not their customers' comfort and wants.
They demanded their customers change. If they had met the
customers' comfort and wants, they could more easily lead
them to the sale.
The
easiest customers to be with are people like us. Selling to
someone not like us is harder. We have to choose how to
approach them.
Most fast
paced, high energy sales people prefer fast paced prospects.
If this prospect is task oriented, they quickly cut to the
bottom line. No small talk here. Give the facts first and
fast. You have what they want, they buy. You don't have it,
they leave, often with a disparaging remark as the door
closes behind them.
If your
high energy prospect is people oriented, you may think a new
best friend just walked in. They chat, ask about your
family, your life, your business, but not what they are
looking for. Be friendly, but take charge of the
conversation. Turn the questions to what they want, how you
can help them, how they will use your products. Be
assumptive with your close. Tell them about your return
policy to give them a way out. (They won't take it, but are
reassured that it is there!)
Slow paced
prospects challenge fast paced sales people. Slow down! Slow
both your body and your words. Be prepared with details and
specifications. Focus on the product, not small talk. Don't
take the penetrating, demanding questions personally. They
really do want to know the subtleties and nuances. Don't let
their silences unnerve you. It takes time to think through
buying decisions. They need to be thorough to be
right.
By taking
the time to analyze just which customers give you trouble,
which customers you find difficult, you will be prepared for
them the next time you want to sell to them. Preparation
pays off. Think about who you have difficulty selling. Then
spend some time developing a script to use with them.
Practice words that start where they are, and lead them to a
closed sale.
Then, when
you recognize one of your difficult prospects, take a deep
breath, reassure yourself you know what to do, and put into
action your preparation and practice.
________
775 words
Patricia Wiklund Ph.D., author, consultant, and coach works with 1Person Business owners who want to grow their businesses by getting and staying focused, maximizing their sales and marketing efforts, and delivering premier services to their target markets. Information on her coaching services and on-line product catalogue can be found at
www.1PersonBusiness.com.
An electronic version of this article is available if you
wish to reprint or repost it. Please contact Dr. Pat Wiklund
for permission to reprint, and to see if there is a royalty
required for reprint. If permission is granted, we request a
hard copy of the publication in which the article appears.
We request you include Pat's bio at the end of the piece,
along with contract information, and preferably, a photo.
We'll happily supply a 5x7 black and white or color photo if
you can use it.
Back to Articles
List
|
