To honor the newest addition to the Star Wars series being released this week, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, let’s take a moment and go back to the classic space opera saga that so many of us have come to know and love.
There are several points in the movies where characters flex their power without needing to physically coerce others. For example, Obi Wan Kenobi uses his Jedi mind “tricks” to influence weaker-minded characters into saying and doing what he wants. Think back to the scene in the original Star Wars movie where he waves his hand and tells a Stormtrooper, “You don’t need to see his identification” and “You can go about your business.” The Stormtrooper repeats what Obi Wan said and then lets him and his group go about their business, even though they were, indeed, the droids the evil Empire was looking for!
So, what does this have to do with sales you ask? Everything. Just ask yourself how often your people are getting caught in similar power plays by prospects and clients.
Here are some examples of the power plays that prospects and clients are using to get the upper hand on your people:
- Asking for discounts
- Seeking free consulting – asking your people how to solve their problems without committing to using your product or service to solve their problems
- Hiding
- Shortening meeting or call times or not even showing up at all
- Not paying attention during calls or meetings (Instead focusing on emails and phone calls, allowing interruptions, etc.)
- Not making decisions
- Not including all decision makers early in the process
- Asking for proposals and quotes
- Putting pressure on your people – unrealistic deadlines, “You must do this or else”, “Your competition is doing this/why aren’t you”, etc.
Your people are allowing prospects and clients to do this because they’re worried. Maybe they’ll lose a prospect they don’t already have. Or maybe they will upset a client or prospect if they push back. Or maybe it’s because they’re letting their emotions get the best of them instead of using logic and following an effective sales process.
Make sure your people are establishing strong relationships and equal business stature with prospects and clients from the start so they don’t become the next in a long line of weak-minded Stormtroopers being manipulated in the universe.
