“How Can You Resist?”
Here is the call control tip of the month:
Salespeople encounter 'resistance' everyday. Resistance from prospects, current customers, internal customers. It usually comes in the form of a stall or objection – "I'm happy with our current provider." or "That pricing seems on the high side."
Amateur salespeople react to resistance by going into "sell" mode to overcome it by supplying reasons why the prospect is wrong or should be thinking differently. This only results in the resistance growing stronger.
Professional salespeople take a different approach. They realize that any resistance from a prospect must first be lowered before attempting to clarify the reasons for it and resolving them. The most effective way to accomplish this is by making statements with which the prospect can agree. Once the resistance is lowered, it's easier to then drill down on the stall or objection and get to the real issue.
Example:
Prospect: "We're happy with our current provider."
Salesperson: "I appreciate you sharing that with me. It sounds like they are doing a perfect job for you and there is no reason for you to look at anyone else right now."
For the prospect who is expecting the salesperson to start 'selling' why his product or service is better, the above response is unexpected. When you say what your prospect isn't expecting, it results in the lowering of their resistance, the changing of their position and the opening of their mind. And you maintain control of the call.
Try it. It works.
