Is your sales training program helping you to be a proactive seller or a reactive seller? A reactive seller isn’t really prepared for, not now. Consequently when a reactive seller is faced with buyer resistance or objections they aren’t prepared to develop a positive alternative for the potential buyer. A proactive seller understands and is prepared for buyer resistance and objections and has several alternative options that move the potential buyer closer to a buying decision.
Obviously you’re better off if your sales training program prepares you to be a proactive seller. To be a proactive seller you must identify for yourself a list of potential next steps appropriate for the various types of resistance and/or objections that you’re likely to experience. Remember you’ve had more experience with this than your potential buyer and you need to be the professional who knows how to help the potential buyer through the sales process.
Don’t turn resistance and/or objections into a battle field. When you try to respond to each point of resistance or each objection as they come up you may win the argument, but lose the sale. A better approach is always to let the potential buyer do the talking while you’re doing the listening. Get them to tell you all of their objections and reasons for resistance before you respond in any manner. Many times the buyer’s resistance or objections are very valid. There is something standing in the way making “not now” the reasonable choice. Your job is to gain agreement on next steps that respect the potential buyer’s situation yet helps the sales process to continue in a positive manner.
Almost all sales training programs emphasize the importance of building a relationship because it’s really that important to long-term success. Treat your buyer like you would a friend or family member. That means you have to respect their needs and provide them with options for the possible ways the sales process can advance. Think about their situation and then identify and agree upon a next step along with the follow-up for that step. Perhaps your potential customer needs to access some information they don’t have available at the appointment and confer with another person. Great; help them to get the information they need, set the next appointment, and ask the other person to be there too so everyone can have the same information at the same time to prevent miscommunications and misunderstandings.
Don’t blow it by making today the only option for a buying decision. Forcing people to make today decisions makes you look like a smarmy sales person who isn’t worthy of trust, but rather who is trying to pull a fast one. Help yourself and your potential customer by being prepared to proactively help both of you to reach the same conclusion at the same time by having the same information.
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