Have you ever jumped in with a "great idea" that killed your sale?
- Whose painting is it, anyway?
- Ask questions that keep you safe.
- Let the prospect put the seagull in the picture.
Nancy was a second grader in the public school system. She had just completed painting a picture during art class. Considering her status as a "promising young artist," the picture of the house and the sun she created was quite good. It was obvious, however, that it was unbalanced since everything was on the left side of the canvas.
Nancy's teacher took a look at the picture and said, "Nancy, this is really a fine painting. However, it needs something on the right side." She then picked up a brush and painted a seagull in the upper right corner of Nancy's painting.
That evening, Nancy was quiet and withdrawn. At the dinner table, Nancy's father asked her what was wrong. She produced the picture, which was now folded up into a small square. her father gently unfolded the picture and examined it. "Nancy, this is quite good," he told her.
"I especially like the seagull." Nancy fled the room in tears.
After her father learned that the teacher's seagull was the source of Nancy's problem, he complained to the art teacher, who, in her defense, cited her extensive credentials in the subject of art. The painting she insisted, did need something on the right-hand side. Getting little satisfaction with the teacher, Nancy's father's next appointment was with the principal; the appointment that followed was with his attorney.
One battle followed another and the conflict eventually led to a court hearing, complete with an hour of testimony concerning the freedom of expression, the role of an educator, the nature of mental distress, etc. After listening intently to both sides, the judge asked Nancy why she had become so upset about the seagull. She replied, "Because I didn't see it there." Case closed, with the decision in favor of Nancy.
The point is, your prospect has a mental picture of his needs before you begin your sales interview. Every change or addition you make to the picture may cause the prospect to become just as uncomfortable as Nancy was. Every change you make to the "big picture" the prospect sees gives the prospect a reason to mistrust- or reject- your product or order for you to satisfy his requirements, you must find a way to propose that change indirectly. In other words, you must find a way to propose it that allows the prospect to discover the need and orchestrates the change.
How do you get the prospect to discover the need for a change? If you've paid attention to the last few rules, you've already figured it out: ask without painting seagulls- and safely measure the prospect's reaction.
Here are some ways to structure your "test the water" questions:
You: Do you suppose (s-e-a-g-u-l-l) would allow you to (satisfy your requirement) more effectively?
You: I don't suppose (s-e-a-g-u-l-l) would be any value, would it?
You: You didn't mention (s-e-a-g-u-l-l), is that important.
You: It probably doesn't make any difference if we could (s-e-a-g-u-l-l) does it?
In each case, if the prospect were to respond positively, you would simply ask, "Why is that?" Now, the prospect must explain to you why he wants the seagull.
If the prospect were to respond negatively, your response would be, "I didn't think so." You're still safe! You've lived to fight another day. Maybe you can suggest the idea again from another vantage point.
If a seagull ends up in the prospect's picture, it should be because the prospect put it there.
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