Have you ever tried to get someone to see something from your perspective and you almost come off as being manipulative and aggressive? Does it feel like you try and control things that are out of your control and then get frustrated that you don’t have the control over the situation? Sales people deal with these things all the time and it is becoming increasingly important to understand the basics on how to deal mentally with these struggles.
The first thing that is worth noticing and recognizing is understanding that the prospect is not seeing the same picture as you. They are not coming into this conversation with the vision of ending with a sale like you are. The second thing you need to do is not forcing the client to start to see things from your perspective. When you do this, make sure you use the right language that comes off warm and inviting otherwise you could risk losing the sale. The next thing is you can’t control everything. You can only control what you can control. You have to leave the way the prospect thinks up to the prospect and how they feel but not everything is going to be a yes. Sales is a process of discovery leading to a mutually agreed upon set of truths. Be upfront and honest with the prospect and show that you are genuinely interested in getting to the truth from them.
Try and lead the prospect down a road where they discover truths for themselves. Don’t try and forcce upon them the truth that you want them to see but rather let them discover those truths through good communication and being able to be conversational. Going through the sales process takes experience and time as well as patience. Be patient with yourself.
RMcIlwain
I really like how you draw attention to the importance of having different views when going into a sales conversation and how that is not only normal but also okay. I also like how you emphasize how important it is for the prospect to feel that they are discovering these things on their own, and not the salesperson forcing something down their throat.
I think that this is something that doesn’t just apply to sales, but life in general. Oftentimes I get frustrated with myself and other because I am only looking at the picture from my point of view and not theirs. Seeing the bigger picture avoids unwanted pain and frustration.
Andrew, I really liked your reflection here. You did a great job pointing out how important it is to stay patient and not force your perspective onto the client. This hits a little close to home because I recently did a bit of it myself. I especially liked how you emphasized leading prospects to discover the truth for themselves — that’s where real trust is built. Your reminder that sales is more about honest discovery than control is something I think a lot of people forget.