Prospecting & Qualifying

In my continuing series on the Sandler Rules, let’s talk about Sandler rule number 37, “All prospects lie, all the time.”

OK, OK. That might be a bit of a stretch. I know there are good prospects out there, ones who are honest and upfront throughout the selling process.

An overview of Sandler rule thirty-one by Ken Seawell

In a previous post I have mentioned my new cadence for prospecting, which follows a strategic, purposeful plan for developing business opportunities with new people. As you may recall, I explained that I follow this order:

Occasionally, I find myself in meetings and it seems like the prospect, for some reason, isn’t being responsive. While this is certainly discouraging, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve learned over time that the reason they’re being unresponsive is that its usually not about me. Perhaps the prospect had a bad experience with a previous salesperson or an uncomfortable conversation with a co-worker. Maybe they’re even thinking about how they got cut off in traffic.

As a salesperson what is your goal? Is it to build good relationships with clients? Is it to establish yourself as a partner in my client’s success? Is it to help my prospect discover the truth? Technically yes, but ultimately, that is not your goal. Your goal is to close the sale, aka “go to the bank.”

Growing up, you might remember when your mom or dad told you to eat your vegetables. And of course, you didn’t want to. No matter what they said, such as “Vegetables help you grow taller” or “Plenty of kids don’t have anything to eat” you resisted and resisted and never ate your vegetables. I suspect, if you were like me, it was the fact that you were told what to do that prompted the resistance. Selling is like eating vegetables.

In life, you are guaranteed to find yourself in situations where you’re under attack, whether rightfully or wrongfully. So, what are you supposed to do in those situations? When it comes to selling, Sandler recommends falling back.