In traditional selling, a little change in appearance can change a negative into a positive or a positive into a negative. Here are five examples:
1. The approach is confrontational rather than consultative
When customers feel confrontation, they often feel provoked and challenged. Salespeople who are too anxious to close the sale or get their prospects to see their point of view may only decrease their odds of closing.
Traditional selling is not about getting customers to agree with everything you say. It’s about allowing yourself to see the customer’s point of view.
2. The customer feels pressured rather than helped
When customers feel pressure, they feel that demands are being placed on them. Successful salespeople are self-assured but never allow their sales talk to overwhelm or push away prospects.
Creating demand and pressure doesn’t work. Patience, respect and understanding usually do.
When you’re able to turn pressure around, it becomes your advantage because you become elevated to a level far above your competition. When you truly want to serve your customer, they know it, and you may overcome sales resistance.
3. Customers feel the salesperson is aggressive rather than supportive
They don’t usually reward aggressive behavior. When salespeople are aggressive, their only goal is to share what is important to them — closing the sale.
There is a big difference between aggressive and assertive behavior. When salespeople are assertive, they believe in the value of their products or services.
Successful salespeople are self-assured and self-confident, but never allow their sales talk to overwhelm or push away prospects.
4. Salespeople set self-focused goals, rather than customer-focused ones
Customers today have a multitude of choices when it comes to how and what to buy.
While they don’t need salespeople to be sold on what they want to buy, they often do want to work directly with a salesperson who can assist them, service them and educate them.
Professional salespeople help support and share knowledge with their customers. They pass along important information and ask customers to buy once they’ve clearly demonstrated how their product or service will help achieve the desired results or objectives.
5. Salespeople become defensive when customers bring up problems
Salespeople who go on the defensive when problems arise usually don’t get to the root of the issue. When a customer calls to discuss a problem or issue they are concerned about, some salespeople either wait to return the call or don’t return the call at all.
Ignoring objections, problems or concerns won’t make them go away. Salespeople who ignore problems or concerns, instead of putting them out on the table and dealing with them, will lose their customers’ trust. It’s a much better decision to take action quickly.
