Before you read any further in this article, I'd like you to take a moment and write down who your biggest competition is.
OK, got it?
I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you that no matter what company you wrote down, you're wrong. Here's what I'll tell you; no matter what industry you're in, no matter how long you've been selling, the biggest competition you face in selling is the status quo. The Status Quo; whatever it is your prospect is doing now ? that's the key challenge you have to overcome in selling. Recognize this universal truth and you can become much more effective in your selling efforts.
To really understand why the Status Quo is such a formidable competitor it helps to explore a bit about the psychology of decision-making. According to psychologist and author Robert Cialdini "Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision."
Let's look at how this applies in selling. Getting a prospect to change what they are currently doing ? even if you have a genuinely better solution - is difficult. Our natural reaction is to try to show how we what can offer is better, how we can save them money, how we can save them time, and so on. Yet, oftentimes the more we try to back up our presentation with facts and evidence, the more strongly our prospect will seek to justify and rationalize what they're already doing. Admitting that they made a bad (or less than optimal) choice, would create some real internal dissonance. The louder that dissonance the greater the search for rationalization and consistency becomes. This is particularly true if the decision made is a public one; the more people that know about the decision, the more the person who made it will seek consistency and resist changing.
For example, suppose you are selling a software solution that has been proven to save companies time and money ? and you can document it. You call on the head of IT at a key prospect. He tells you that he has developed his own solution, which, according to him "does the same thing that your product does." As you show him the proprietary features of your program, he even admits that yes, it can do things his can't, and yes, it would save time and money, and yes, the CEO would really like the access to information it would provide. Yet, he won't proceed with the sale. Why? Well, what you may not know is that everyone in the company knows that the IT Director (your prospect) has been championing how great his own system is, and that his line throughout the company is "Why buy when we can create this system ourselves."
Even though he knows intellectually that you may have a better solution, he will do everything he can to justify his earlier decision; to do otherwise would cause great internal dissonance and discomfort.
So, then, how do you deal with this situation?
1. Recognize that your job in selling is to understand what people do ? and to work with them to help them do things better.
2. Don't try to sell by showing that your product or service is better than the competitors' (or whatever else they might be doing).
Wait ? that sounds inconsistent, you say. First you say that I should help him do things better, but I shouldn't show them why my product is better?
The seeming inconsistency resolves itself when you remove yourself from trying to "sell your product" and shift your focus to understanding what people do, why they do things that way, and what they're hoping to accomplish in the future. Your questions should be squarely focused on the prospect ? not on you.
The best way to bring these seeming contradictory goals into alignment is to show your prospect how you can ENHANCE what they are already doing. By showing how you can enhance, in essence what you are saying is "Hey, you've got something that's working here, and I'm not going to upset your apple cart. My goal is to help you take what you've already got, and help you make it even better."
By taking the approach to enhance you accomplish two important things. First, you are helping the prospect maintain their sense of consistency which will make you an ally. Second, by starting with this approach, you may make a small sale initially but you now have the door open to larger sales and the beginning of a long-term relationship.
As Cialdini sums up "For the salesperson, the strategy is to obtain a large purchase by starting with a small one. Almost any small sale will do, because the purpose of that small transaction is not profit. It is commitment. Further purchases, even much larger ones, are expected to flow from the commitment."
Copyright 2005 Lexien Management Consultants, Inc
Mark Dembo; President, Lexien Management Consultants (http://www.lexien.com) Mark has over 20 years of sales, sale management, and business development experience, focused on improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Lexien Management Consultants provides sales training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations and individuals who are motivated to grow their businesses. Each month, Lexien publishes the Sales Success Newsletter.
Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a... Read More
Think of all of your business ideas as tiny seeds... Read More
As I am preparing for my attendance to the CoachVille's... Read More
Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More
Pressure washing companies must look for customers in the retail... Read More
Q: A friend told me that as a woman of... Read More
If you're organized, smart, capable and willing to work with... Read More
As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a... Read More
A consultant must remember that the business belongs to the... Read More
If you run a pressure washing company in a rural... Read More
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners... Read More
There have been many great points raised on both sides... Read More
All cities have a purchasing office and/or a procurement officer.... Read More
Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many... Read More
Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood,... Read More
As long as you eat and breathe you will stay... Read More
If you are looking for a franchise opportunity, the choice... Read More
Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify... Read More
Doesn't it frustrate you when you've given good service, sometimes... Read More
Whether your target audience is in your neighborhood or across... Read More
Starting a business? For many people, the bravery to venture... Read More
What makes a business relationship?What really makes a business relationship?... Read More
First, we need to define the different kinds of skip... Read More
Where do you find more customers?How do you compete with... Read More
You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More
Security Professionals provide the products and services necessary to create... Read More
It's obvious when a small business has accepted the fact... Read More
Sacred cows take a long time to die. We get... Read More
In general, all of us know how to accomplish the... Read More
When someone owes your small business money, you certainly feel... Read More
Here's why 'WHY' is such a profit-making marketing trigger."Stop taking... Read More
Image of your franchise automotive outlet is so important. Some... Read More
As an Investment Representative you've worked hard to build trust... Read More
Your product is dying. With the same inevitability that we... Read More
Everyday more web based companies enter the business scene. The... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission is assisting competitor to cheat and... Read More
I propose this thought on the subject of Franchisee territory... Read More
Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting... Read More
One of the simplest ways to expand your marketing efforts... Read More
We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More
One of the best marketing strategies a business or organization... Read More
Discover How Specialized Cost Containment Creates A New Win-Win Position... Read More
If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business... Read More
How far can you go based on your relationship with... Read More
As an entrepreneur you can learn a lot by following... Read More
I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw... Read More
What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners are... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission is upgrading the franchise law and... Read More
It has been said that the only constant is change.... Read More
Why should you do informative talks to smaller groups?Informative talks... Read More
Approximately 200,000 new businesses are started each year. More people... Read More
When do you need to get more involved with the... Read More
If you are thinking of turning your current into a... Read More
Everyone wants to succeed in life. Most people want to... Read More
In a quest for customers and to keep those customers,... Read More
Cleaning concrete is tough and there is an easy way... Read More
CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
How many "get rich schemes" have you joined? Or have... Read More
Do you spend every waking minute in your business? Do... Read More
How to identify future solutions and opportunities?Your power page, if... Read More
I've got good news and bad news. The good news... Read More
As you may know, there are many ways to incorporate... Read More
Introduction: This article is written as a general discussion on... Read More
Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More
The modern Franchise business model and the much different business... Read More
Many government department heads are on the take. Oh they'll... Read More
Small Business |