Josh has been in sales for nearly six years. He has great customers, and he wants more.
So what’s the problem? By analyzing his prospecting activity, Josh has come to the conclusion that he’s spending an inordinate amount of time volunteering and building relationships. But the activities haven’t added enough new clients to justify his time and financial expenditures.
Josh isn’t the only salesperson who has difficulty transitioning from relationship-building to solid business-building. He isn’t aware of it, but he exhibits a form of Sales Call Reluctance, and it’s interfering with his closing new business.
This type of call reluctance has been identified as Yielder Call Reluctance. It is common among salespeople. Salespeople with Yielder Call Reluctance are people pleasers. They are approval seekers who lack assertiveness. They give their creative control to the prospect and lose connection to their own value.
Salespeople who are nice people:
Value-added customer service can be the deciding factor when a prospect chooses you over a competitor. But salespeople get their wires crossed when they believe that the buyer-seller relationship is more important than the sale. There must be a balance. In the end, relationships and friendships do not pay the bills. Selling products and services pay the bills.
Don’t get me wrong: relationships are important. But buyers primarily want you to provide solutions.
Non-yielders have a huge advantage. You may meet a salesperson who isn’t any more knowledgeable than you, yet they have a better business. Why? They win the business because they’re assertive and consistent in their prospecting and they ask for the business.
The first step in overcoming Yielder Call Reluctance is to understand what it is and how it could be affecting you. The following questions may help you determine if you are too nice to close the deal:
If you answered “Yes” to three or more of the above questions, you may be suffering from Yielder Sales Call Reluctance. Here are five steps to get you moving forward:
Be acutely aware of the behavior. When you find yourself yielding, simply observe your actions without criticizing yourself. Your recognition of the problem is a positive step.
Pinpoint the extent of the problem. Here’s a great tip: Record your prospecting calls—there’s no better way to self-correct. Listen to the general impression your voice is making on the phone.
The hardest part of changing behavior is admitting that the behavior is costing you big bucks.
Now you can begin to use proven techniques and overcome the behavior. For example, notice when you don’t ask a question or don’t say something because you become afraid. Top salespeople ask the tough questions when they are in front of their prospects. Mediocre salespeople ask the tough questions as they are driving away from the appointment.
Continue to examine and analyze your behavior so that you don’t relapse. Role-play daily.
Click here to read about the other 11 types of Sales Call Reluctance that holds careers hostage.
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