To stop getting treated like a stereotypical salesperson stop acting like one.
How does a stereotypical salesperson act?
They try to convince, persuade, and sometimes manipulate through the use of psychological tricks. No one likes to be treated that way. Think about it. How do you feel when someone tries to convince or persuade you?
Yet that is what sales trainers have taught sales people for the last 50 years.
Before I started Sales Warrior Inc., I spent 16 years in the sales profession. I received hundreds of hours of sales training. And not one company I ever worked for really knew how to teach salespeople anything but persuasion and manipulation. Most of this training, we were told, was based on “solid psychological theory” and sound human “relationship principles”. In reality, it was psychological warfare. Us against them. It produced an adversarial relationship.
What else do stereotypical sales people do to alienate prospects? They vomit on the prospect about the features and benefits of their product or service. They spend hours extolling the virtues of their product without know if the prospect has the slightest interest in what they are saying. They are taught this in product knowledge training. They are taught that if you just talk long enough you might hit a prospect’s hot button.
What should you do?
Stop trying to use psychological tricks and gimmicks with prospects. Start being blatantly honest with them.
Stop promoting the company line about how great your products are and start talking to your prospects about what matters to them. Talk to them about what is important to them not to you. And quit trying to “pitch” everyone who can fog a mirror.
Prospects buy things for their reasons, not yours. In fact, sometimes they buy in spite of your reasons.
Most importantly, before you start talking about your product establish some mutual trust and respect. People don’t buy from people they like but they do buy from people they trust and respect. Spend time earning their trust and respect instead of trying to do battle with them.
