Using a 3rd Party Story in Sales

Are there times that you are dealing with a client and they seem to want one thing, but you are not sure you can deliver that to them? For example, a price on a product. This is often times a sensitive situation for most sales people. They do not always feel comfortable talking numbers with clients because they are afraid of setting off the client with the number or they are not comfortable with saying no to a price that is too low for the company. There needs to be a way to get information about one’s feelings across to the client in a professional way without jeoprodizing the sale. The way of doing this is in the book The Sandler Rules adapted by David Mattson. Mattson shows us a technique in his Sandler rule number 45. This rule is to “Express your feelings through a third-party stories. This is a great technique to use if your gut is telling you to say something, but you are also hesitant to say it at the same time. This rule gives us a means of saying what we really feel in a sales context without coming off as unprofessional while moving the sale forward at the same time. The technique in which this is done is through a third-party story. If you are in a situation where the client is asking for a lower price on your product or service but you do not want to or cannot meet them at the lower number, it is a great time to pull out rule 45. Think back in your experience for stories that have been similar to the following situation and think about how that situation resulted. Say you have had bad experiences of being used as a salesman by clients. Tell the story of how a client used you to get a lower price with a different company and were just talking to you to get another quote to use as leverage. This story will allow the client to see from your point of view and know what you are truly feeling about the ask of price reduction. Ask the client if they are going to do the same to you. This will keep the sales conversation honest and genuine, allowing both parties to find a realization if the sale is a true fit.