Core Concept #4 is something that I felt I learned a lot from. It is all about giving people permission to say no and to be straight forward with it from the get-go. With this is the idea and focus of getting to the truth rather than trying to get to what you want to hear. When the focus is on getting to yes or convincing you lose focus to the customer in front of you and are more than likely going to be left with an “I’ll think it over”…the dagger to a sales man or woman’s heart. We were provided in class with a couple examples and pointers on how to avoid wasting time when the upfront answer would be no. One pointer was on the use of “upfront contracts” this idea is to lock the individual into meeting with you and setting verbal agreements. By setting these verbal agreements they set expectations and fend off unwanted shocks or surprises. When setting an appointment one should set some guidelines. For me, this would be to create a full on itinerary, but that’s just how I function. It really means to set a time limit and give them some ideas of what to expect what may be discussed or questions they may have. Another useful pointer was to give your client the ability to say no right away, showing them that you aren’t trying to waste their time and vice-a-versa.
Some major things that I learned from this, was the whole idea of giving them permission to say no. I would love it if salespeople gave me that option. Along with that, it would be awesome to be able to set up an appointment and to know how long it was going to be or to know what to expect. I am one of those people that after a sales pitch I have zero questions, give me 20 minutes and I am full of them, so knowing what to expect would be wonderful.
BoweryJE22