Have you ever been in front of a prospect and found yourself in a situation where you felt something, but were afraid to say it out loud?
- Trust your "gut."
- Can you say what you really feel - and also move the sale forward?
How many times have you had a gut feeling about a situation but you were hesitant to say something to the prospect? Maybe there's a way to express that feeling - and support your own sales process at the same time.
For example, say your prospect is putting a lot of pressure on you because of your product's or service's price. Rather than "defending" your position - which won't work anyway - what would happen if you found a way to tell your prospect how you felt, based on something similar that has happened in your world?
For instance: "George, I appreciate your problem and I believe that I can help you solve it. I must admit, however, that I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. You see, last week I was working with a prospective client who had committed to our program if I could obtain a favorable rate for one element of the coverage. I bent over backward to get the home office to obtain the rate for him. Then, he used our rate as leverage to get his existing broker to lower their rate. And, of course, he kept his business with them. If I can get the home office to get the rate of approval needed to solve your problem, am I going to end up regretting it?"
The very best salespeople know that their work is rooted in relationships and that relationships inevitable connects to feelings. When you have the instinct to talk about how you feel with a prospect or customer, don't let fear keep you from finding an appropriate way to do that. Usually, sharing your feelings in a professional way will strengthen the relationship - and clarify the commitments that make that relationship work for both parties.