Who Wants it More: You or your Client?
If you want the sale more than your client, you’re in trouble!
In any healthy relationship, there is a genuine desire to interact and a mutual investment in a successful outcome. Problems begin to emerge when one party is more invested than the other or there is an imbalance in value.
Especially in business relationships!
As Sales Leaders we must remain aware of our level of investment in a prospective client relationship in proportion to that of the prospective client’s. When you’re more invested, it’s a signal to check in with your prospect so that you don’t spend more time and energy than you need to on an opportunity that simply isn’t going to go ahead any time soon – regardless of the reason.
Here are some clues that you’re more invested than your client:
You’re making all of the calls and arrangements to meet
The prospect is rescheduling or postponing agreed meeting times
All meetings are at your client’s office or you’re doing most of the driving
The prospect starts to bring in new topics for discussion at a point in the process when you think it should be converting or getting to final agreement
The prospect seems to be treating your meetings as a favour as opposed to a desire to have a problem solved
What these indicate is that you have not qualified early enough, or that for some reason, something has shifted for your prospect since your early discussions.
When there is no intention or no ability to work with you but your prospect won’t tell you outright there are some ways to check in with them to alleviate the pressure for you both and readjust your mindset to one of abundance:
Say: “I get the feeling that this may not be the right time/solution/price point for you…is that right?”
Ask: “You’ve rescheduled a couple of times now, and while I understand that we’re all busy, experience tells me that this is sometimes because people don’t feel comfortable saying no….is this the case with you?”
State: “up to this point we have been talking about (problem) and (solution)….now there are new items being brought into the discussion. Does this mean we need to start from scratch or are these to be discussed separately?”
Ask: “Let’s make our next meeting at our office or halfway….do you have some suggested venues?”
Remember, the best client relationships are based on mutual value. As a sales leader you’re job is to not just “get a deal” but find a fit between what you deliver, your alignment and with the requirement of your prospective client’s.
Whenever you find yourself convincing and persuading, you’ve crossed the line. Your skill needs to be around getting your prospect to convince you to work with them. Do this, and selling will be easy.
Want to find out more?
Email me: Ingrid@thesalesdr.com.au