Problem:
A year or so ago we recall having a disagreement with a prospective client, Susan, on the subject of “pain.” We agreed that the concept of pain was valid in that it focused on the needs, wants, challenges, etc. that the prospect was facing. There was no argument that the sales interview should focus on the prospect’s pain and not on the product’s features and benefits. Where we disagreed was on how the pain was developed in the first place.
Analysis:
A well-known sales training firm had trained my prospect. Their position relative to pain was that the salesperson’s job is to “create” pain…even if none existed. Susan was a real “driver” personality and her philosophy was that any sales call that did not result in a sale was a failure. The training she had received fit well with her personality style and she accepted it as gospel. So, in order to make a sale, she would often employ an extraordinary barrage of manipulative and aggressive tactics. This inevitably made prospects defensive, destroyed rapport, and she became very dissatisfied with her results.
Solution:
First, we had to refocus her attitude toward what the goal of a sales call really was. When she agreed that not everyone was a prospect (a real leap of faith for her) and that she’d be happy if she were simply able to get far enough in the relationship to ask the right qualifying questions, she had made her first significant step in the right direction. Then we discussed creating an atmosphere where the prospect was comfortable discussing their pain with her. She learned to do an effective meeting agreement where she got permission to ask questions in order to understand the prospect’s issues better. She even became comfortable telling the prospect that it was okay to say “no” if it didn’t look like there was a fit. She learned to tone down her aggressive style so that the prospect wasn’t threatened. Doing these things helped create an atmosphere where the lines of communication were more open and her results improved dramatically. It began with an attitude change followed by some solid technique, and her sales greatly improved!