I have a confession to make. As a salesperson, I’ve allowed my emotions to get in the way and walked away from a sale. And this has been a big mistake.
Now there are times when you absolutely should walk away – times like the other day when I was in front of a prospect who was doing everything right.
He had a bunch of marketing strategies in place, was working with other professionals and while I could have convinced him to switch and use us, it just didn’t feel right. I wasn’t going to do anything radically different – so there would be no value add.
So I thanked him for spending the time and walked away. And he appreciated my honesty and I’m sure that should circumstances change, will come back to us.
However, there is a far more insidious circumstance in selling.
One where you know you’ve got a good product.
But you start to feel sorry for the prospect. You might feel they can’t afford what it is you’re selling. Or they should be spending their “limited” money on something more important than your product.
In short you start to feel guilty about taking their money.
So you start to make decisions for them. Decisions you have no right to make. So you pull your punch and walk away from a sale. Or if you sell business to business, you subconsciously start to lower your price to what you think they can afford.
Zig Ziglar relates an example from his earliest days selling cookware. Discovering the prospects were saving up to get indoor plumbing, Zig backed off and didn’t try to close the sale. The couple were annoyed – they really wanted the pots and pans. The husband said, “We can put the plumbing in later. Mamma wants those pots now”.
So what’s going on? Why do so many people feel guilty about selling and charging a premium for their products and services?
They wanted to buy your product. You refused to sell it to them. They want what you have and you’ve denied them the opportunity. They end up getting mad with you. A lose – lose situation.
Let’s get one thing clear…
Your queasiness about price, about who you’re selling to, their ability to pay, and their ability to afford it is deadly. Frankly, any time you start to make those decisions for other people really reflects more about what’s going on internally with you than anything else.
It’s all about your own relationship to money. If you feel there isn’t enough to go around and that by taking their money, they’ll have less, and you’ll have “taken advantage of them” think again.
They’re going to spend the money anyway – whether it’s on booze, gambling or something else. So it may as well be with you.
Remember, people buy what they want, not necessarily what they need. That’s why you see trailer parks and housing commission flats with satellite dishes and huge TV’s while the kids run around in hand-me-downs.
So the next time you’re in front of a prospect and you start to feel those pangs on guilt or find yourself thinking about offering a discount, STOP. Take a deep breath and give them the price with a perfectly straight face. Shut up and let them buy!
Rashid.
P.S. If you find selling difficult and/or have trouble articulating your value, keep an eye out for our upcoming Boost Your Business Workshops| < Prev | Next > |
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