Before you read any further in this article, I'd like you to take a moment and write down who your biggest competition is.
OK, got it?
I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you that no matter what company you wrote down, you're wrong. Here's what I'll tell you; no matter what industry you're in, no matter how long you've been selling, the biggest competition you face in selling is the status quo. The Status Quo; whatever it is your prospect is doing now ? that's the key challenge you have to overcome in selling. Recognize this universal truth and you can become much more effective in your selling efforts.
To really understand why the Status Quo is such a formidable competitor it helps to explore a bit about the psychology of decision-making. According to psychologist and author Robert Cialdini "Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision."
Let's look at how this applies in selling. Getting a prospect to change what they are currently doing ? even if you have a genuinely better solution - is difficult. Our natural reaction is to try to show how we what can offer is better, how we can save them money, how we can save them time, and so on. Yet, oftentimes the more we try to back up our presentation with facts and evidence, the more strongly our prospect will seek to justify and rationalize what they're already doing. Admitting that they made a bad (or less than optimal) choice, would create some real internal dissonance. The louder that dissonance the greater the search for rationalization and consistency becomes. This is particularly true if the decision made is a public one; the more people that know about the decision, the more the person who made it will seek consistency and resist changing.
For example, suppose you are selling a software solution that has been proven to save companies time and money ? and you can document it. You call on the head of IT at a key prospect. He tells you that he has developed his own solution, which, according to him "does the same thing that your product does." As you show him the proprietary features of your program, he even admits that yes, it can do things his can't, and yes, it would save time and money, and yes, the CEO would really like the access to information it would provide. Yet, he won't proceed with the sale. Why? Well, what you may not know is that everyone in the company knows that the IT Director (your prospect) has been championing how great his own system is, and that his line throughout the company is "Why buy when we can create this system ourselves."
Even though he knows intellectually that you may have a better solution, he will do everything he can to justify his earlier decision; to do otherwise would cause great internal dissonance and discomfort.
So, then, how do you deal with this situation?
1. Recognize that your job in selling is to understand what people do ? and to work with them to help them do things better.
2. Don't try to sell by showing that your product or service is better than the competitors' (or whatever else they might be doing).
Wait ? that sounds inconsistent, you say. First you say that I should help him do things better, but I shouldn't show them why my product is better?
The seeming inconsistency resolves itself when you remove yourself from trying to "sell your product" and shift your focus to understanding what people do, why they do things that way, and what they're hoping to accomplish in the future. Your questions should be squarely focused on the prospect ? not on you.
The best way to bring these seeming contradictory goals into alignment is to show your prospect how you can ENHANCE what they are already doing. By showing how you can enhance, in essence what you are saying is "Hey, you've got something that's working here, and I'm not going to upset your apple cart. My goal is to help you take what you've already got, and help you make it even better."
By taking the approach to enhance you accomplish two important things. First, you are helping the prospect maintain their sense of consistency which will make you an ally. Second, by starting with this approach, you may make a small sale initially but you now have the door open to larger sales and the beginning of a long-term relationship.
As Cialdini sums up "For the salesperson, the strategy is to obtain a large purchase by starting with a small one. Almost any small sale will do, because the purpose of that small transaction is not profit. It is commitment. Further purchases, even much larger ones, are expected to flow from the commitment."
Copyright 2005 Lexien Management Consultants, Inc
Mark Dembo; President, Lexien Management Consultants (http://www.lexien.com) Mark has over 20 years of sales, sale management, and business development experience, focused on improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Lexien Management Consultants provides sales training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations and individuals who are motivated to grow their businesses. Each month, Lexien publishes the Sales Success Newsletter.
Ashley limo service .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareI recently met with a very successful magazine publisher who... Read More
Most small business owners seek advisors who can help them... Read More
Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner... Read More
If you discovered the bottom line in your business depended... Read More
Are the promoters and consultants destroying the market for Reverse... Read More
IntroductionIt is widely recognised that Email and the Internet is... Read More
Starting and growing a small business can be a daunting... Read More
Opening a carpet cleaning business is a great way to... Read More
Writing a business plan for your Solo Entrepreneur business doesn't... Read More
As a Boat Detailing Specialist, you may want to offer... Read More
When deciding to host a fundraiser for your company or... Read More
A few years ago, I visited Beijing for the first... Read More
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours;... Read More
It seems so long ago that I started my first... Read More
I started working with another new client last week. He... Read More
As an entrepreneur you can learn a lot by following... Read More
CONSIDERING COMPANY NEEDS: In identifying your needs for the internship,... Read More
In the world today, many people are further in debt... Read More
As you reflect on this year and prepare for next... Read More
In the first part of this article I put forward... Read More
Where do you find more customers?How do you compete with... Read More
Entrepreneurs are hardy stock. But sometimes hardiness can get you... Read More
Looking for ways to boost your cash flow? As a... Read More
Back when I owned an inventory-based business, one of my... Read More
Seventy percent of US households use the web when shopping... Read More
car service from Midway Arena ..As a specialist in getting restaurants open, it is surprising... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission is upgrading the franchise law and... Read More
Franchisor expansion policies are not as simple as one might... Read More
If you're organized, smart, capable and willing to work with... Read More
Aircraft Interiors of personal and corporate jets have hundreds of... Read More
As a practise gets larger & larger the associated problems... Read More
One thing I have noticed in my travels to different... Read More
We're birds of a feather, public relations and small business.... Read More
You only have so much time in a day right?So... Read More
If you run a pressure washing business it is a... Read More
You've come up with the best idea since sliced bread,... Read More
There are only a handful of car wash franchises in... Read More
Support is critical for your small business survival. You may... Read More
Some of the greatest words of wisdom for any man... Read More
Experts urge small business owners to "brand" their business ?... Read More
It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel... Read More
Time. As a small business owner, it's the commodity you... Read More
If a customer owes your local business money, it's hard... Read More
As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours;... Read More
In the summer, I can't drive two blocks without seeing... Read More
Seems as though there are a lot of business closings... Read More
Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify... Read More
Most small business owners are faced with so many responsibilities... Read More
1. Have A Strong Constitution ? Justices deliver decisions by... Read More
Essentially there are 5 tremendously powerful methods to make money... Read More
Small Business |