How many times have you been afraid to ask a question on a sales call because you were afraid to hear the truth?
The traditional sales rep experiences this in too many meetings/sales calls. They run from the truth about how people are going to make decisions. They are afraid the criteria may not match what they have. They are afraid of talking money because the prospective client may not have any, which means they have to go out and prospect again. They are afraid to discover the truth when prospective clients use wishy-washy statements, because they are hoping and praying that when the prospect said, “This is something we might be interested in,” he or she meant, "Yes," versus a polite way to say no.
Running from the truth in sales causes forecasts and pipelines to be in accurate and hard to predict.
Too often sales reps may not want to hear the truth. They would rather have “happy ears” in hopes something will close this month. Too often sales reps don’t uncover the truth because the activities they are engaged in helps them appear busy. Too often sales reps don’t uncover the truth because it requires a nurturing way to ask the tough questions.
The next time you are on a sales call, simply become a truth seeker. If you do, you will find less pressure on both parties. Clarity will be obtained quickly, and you will know exactly where you stand—whether it works in your favor or not. The good news is, even if it doesn’t work in your favor, the truth helps.
Now the choice is yours to find someone else to help gain an understanding of his or her true situation.
