What The Desperate Salesperson Should Actually Do

Feeling burdened by that monthly sales quota? Or just simply aching to get that deal in? Don’t fall for sales traps, but do the right things instead. Five rules to keep at heart.

The typical salesperson is usually making cold calls, meeting clients, getting many more “no”s than “yes”es, all the while scrambling in his/her mind as to how to win that client over. More often that not, you’re desperate to get a sale because it may:

• Get you a promotion
• Earn you more commission
• Bestow upon you the feeling that you’re the Greatest Salesperson In The World.

Whatever it is, getting a sale is not easy because depending on your industry, the sales cycle can range from one day to one year. And worse, your potential clients are:

• Fickle-minded
• Always on a budget
• Always in a dilemma
• Always unavailable
• All of the above.

So, these are some rules I have that every person in sales should adhere to:

1. Play hard to get. No, I’m not asking you to date your client…you’re not that desperate, are you? But yes, I’m giving you permission to bring up all those flirting tactics to apply them here in sales. Clients inevitably play hard to get with you, so why not you with them? They try to feign disinterest so that you might feel the pressure to lower the cost or pile up more benefits in hopes that they will jump on board. Don’t be taken in. Instead of immediately offering a better deal (for them), take your time and agree with their objection (that “it’s too expensive”, “there aren’t enough features”)…but in a not-too-negative way. Some examples: “perhaps if you feel that our product does not justify its cost, then yes, you might indeed find the other option from Competitor A more worthwhile”…or “while we feel that we cover all the necessary features and yet still offer add-ons, we understand that some clients will still look for more, as such, we understand where you are coming from”. Trust me, most of them will be shocked at this sudden change which has effectively led you to turn the tables on them, thus giving you added advantage because they will be at a lost as to what to do. Instinct will usually propel them to try to rectify the situation by grasping for something concrete with which to continue the conversation in hopes that they can once again regain the upper hand. This would probably entail them saying along the lines of “okay, maybe this isn’t such a bad idea”…voilà!
2. You’re doing your client a favour, rather than the other way round. You’re the one giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve their lives by a thousand fold. Aren’t you the once more sought after then? You have to see sales this way to avoid pandering too much to your clients’ wants.
3. Oranges vs. Apples, not Apples vs. Apples. Don’t allow them to price-compare between your competitor and you; make them unable to do so. Do this by telling your clients why they are not doing themselves justice by failing to see why comparing the two is equivalent to comparing a computer ten years old with one manufactured in 2006 (discounting inflation).
4. A “NO” means that they hate you…not! It just means that they didn’t like the deal…or it just wasn’t the right time for them to move forward with your product or service. You will be amazed how crucial timing is. They could be busy implementing some other new feature or caught up with an important annual event and have simply no time to review your product or service. Or on a personal level, they could just be trying to wrap things up at work so that they would be ready to leave for that two-week vacation to the Bahamas. If so, call back 2.5 weeks later, after they’ve settled back into work – let them rest a bit, will ya?
5. They are not aliens…or gods – they are also people who have lives to lead. After work, they will probably go home to screaming kids, a pissed-off wife/husband (for whatever reason), bills to pay…and others. They are just like you – with a thousand concerns on their minds, and whose lives do not revolve around that one sale. Don’t see your client from a one-sided perspective – from a work point of view. Expand that image of your client in a suit in his/her office and place that person in casual board shorts and a tank top running around doing housework. There you go! Doesn’t that make you less afraid of speaking to that person? They are just people like you!

Sales, though tough, is a crucial skill that all entrepreneurs need to have. Brush up on your selling skills to wow that VC or potential client, or simply being able to persuade almost anyone.

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