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Hello all,
Are you able to be contributed to or do you have all the
answers?
Closing more sales... What I have
observed in myself and others over the past 30+ years of
selling and managing sales people is that one of the biggest
obstacles to closing sales is "having all the answers." Have
you ever met someone who "knows it all?" Someone who appears
to be willing to be coached, and as soon as a suggestion comes
their way they say something like "oh, I have tried that and
it doesn't work" or "that does not apply to my field."
I recently had someone attend one
of my classes who was looking for help with closing more
sales. They wanted to learn the next best thing to say to help
them close a higher percentage of prospects that called on
the phone. Fellow students in the class started suggesting
ways that this person could attract "warm prospects," that
would be easier to close than someone who called in "cold."
They were suggesting ways that this person could mine
referrals from people he knew or from other people who had
contact with his client base and did not compete with him.
This fellow had all the reasons why these ideas would not help
him. He just wanted to know "what new things can I say when I
have these cold prospects on the phone?" Even when we
suggested new things he could say, he mostly responded with
things like " well, that would not work" or "I am not sure I
could say that"... What became obvious to me and to others, was
that this fellow was someone who was difficult to contribute
to. He had all the answers for business and for life.
I could see that in relationships,
it was likely that those around him felt like he knew it
all... he knew what would work or not for him... then why ask
for help? He is like a full container... It is very hard to
add to a full container. Prospects feel it too. People we call
on or that call us, have a sense that we "know it all"... that
we are "in-flexible," have an "unmovable position"... that we
have "all the answers." This is fine for prospects that are
insecure and need our help to make a decision. Helping them
buy, is great... as long as we have the integrity to help them
buy the correct solution for them. We have all heard the
stories of unscrupulous sales people who take advantage of
this type of person.
For prospects that "know what they
are looking for," that have "done the research"... they
require a different approach. We need to "fall back" from this
type of person and let them talk. We have to be able to listen
and ask them "what would work for you"... "what research have
you done," "what solution do you have in mind?"
If the solution they have in mind
is incorrect, we have to soften our approach to correct this
type of person... (after all, they too think that they have
all the answers). We would softly suggest something like "you
certainly have some good ideas and have done your research...
would you like to hear my suggestions?"
If you think you have all the
answers, trying to give this type of person your advice too
early would be like trying to help you... very hard to
contribute to...
Selling is about learning to be
flexible with all of the different types of people who we come
into contact with. Selling is about others, not about us. Each
person that we meet is a mirror, reflecting back to us, a part
of us. When we first meet someone, on the phone or in person,
step back and mirror them. Notice how they are. Like
relationships, we come into contact with many different types
of people and we need to make space for their differences.
If you do not make space for the
differences of others in your life, you will not make space
for prospects who are different than you. How you are
everywhere is how you are in selling. If you have all the
answers, how can anyone help you? Prospects will sense this
too... who likes a know it all?
How do you know if this is how
you show up?
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Are you willing to surround
yourself with people who make you uncomfortable...who stretch
what you "know"?
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Are you willing to try things that
others suggest that are uncomfortable for you?
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When new ideas are suggested, do
you recoil or react with thoughts or words of "that would
never work for me"?
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Ask your loved ones or co-workers
or close friends "am I easily contributed to...? Do I take
suggestions to change easily?"
Life is always trying to add to
us... is there space to add to you?
Joseph Campbell once said "we must
be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have
the life that is waiting for us."
Let go of all your "answers"
today... see what is waiting.
Gratefully yours,
Steve |
