Have you ever encountered a prospect or customer who was considering a particular approach to solve a problem? But the more they told you, the more you realized that the approach was wrong or the solution was inappropriate and you discovered that integrating that idea will actually cost them money or adversely affect their business. You questioned their perspective and were met with stony-eyed resistance.
Were you willing to speak the truth? Did you have the courage to stick to your guns?
Even more challenging…are you willing to walk away from the business if they insist on the using the wrong solution even though you can provide it?
It can be difficult to tell prospects what they NEED to hear instead of what they WANT to hear. Yet, sellers frequently face this dilemma.
Not everyone has the courage to speak up and tell their prospects the truth. We don’t want to offend the other person, afraid that doing so will jeopardize our relationship and prevent us from making the sale and growing our business.
However, in today’s volatile business climate I believe that it is even more important that we don’t gloss over the potential problem. Resources are tight which means it’s critical that every investment a company makes is the right one.
That’s where your expertise comes into play.
If you know a prospect’s decision to use a particular solution is not the best decision, you can stand out from your competition by being upfront with them.
“Mr. Jones, I know you are seriously considering XYZ solution. One of our clients took a similar approach and discovered that it actually cost them more money because the hidden costs weren’t taken into consideration. Let me show you what I mean…”
The key is presenting the correct solution in the appropriate tone and manner. Make sure there is no hint of defensiveness or aggression in your voice or body language.
Your goal as a sales professional is to help your clients and prospects make the best possible buying decision. That sometimes means telling them something they don’t want to hear. You can differentiate yourself from your competition and increase your sales by speaking the truth.
About Kelley
Kelley helps sales people master sales conversations so they can win more business and increase their sales. If you’re planning a sales meeting, conference or event and need an engaging & informative speaker, call him at: 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca. Here’s a quick video of a partial presentation: http://bit.ly/ef5P5l
