People regularly tell me what causes them sales reluctance. Many salespeople with sales reluctance feel like they will be pegged as their preconceived negative salesperson stereotype.
Why do we have negative salespeople stereotypes? Because unbelievably there are still salespeople who don’t understand that selling isn’t about them; selling is about the customer. How do you have to act to be a pressure salesperson?
Be insincere. Being natural and honest about how your product or service can help a prospect comes from your confidence, knowledge and heart. It may seem like being sincere is something you can learn but just how do you teach something that comes from the heart? Sincerity is both about thinking and feeling the right way.
Be pushy. If you have ever watched the television show, The Office, you know pushy can be the branch manager Michael and one of the salesmen, Dwight. They get disagreeably assertive with customers, even customers who have made it clear they are not interested. Be persistent in follow-up with your prospect in ways that communicate you are listening and care about helping them.
Don’t listen. Most of us hear our prospects but few of us listen. In writing and training about listening for years, I often cite Dr. Ralph Nichols research reporting on 200 listeners – it’s a 10 part skill. What it takes most is an “other” focus and for some reason, salespeople find it difficult to be other focused.
Convince clients. Con – vince. The word’s meaning itself is pressure: to prove by overcoming. What’s there to convince a prospect about? If you build trust, then convincing ends being part of the sales equation. How do you build trust? By being reliable, open, congruent and accepting.
You can build a negative reputation as a pressure salesperson and you will certainly find some short term success. Or you can build a positive reputation by focusing on just the opposite, the more positive traits, and find greater and long lasting success.
What other characteristics do you think are ways pressure salespeople get that negative stereotype? How do they act to make you think they have less than your interest in mind?