Sales. For some, it's as easy as ABC—Always Be Closing. For others, upholding the Glengarry Glen Ross mantra is a constant struggle.
Despite the meetings, dinners and creative energy spent on a potential client, deals can fall through at the last minute. The client doesn't want what you're selling. The client doesn't need what you're selling. And your price? Forget it.
Or, maybe there's more to it.
According to William J. Farquharson, vice president of NAPL, East Rutherford, N.J., the answer lies in the root of the word itself: objection. "'An objection is a request for more information,'" he said, referencing Wikipedia's definition. "What if the client was saying 'no' because of a lack of information instead? Perhaps you simply didn't do your job."
Forget about plowing through objectives. Closing the deal requires thoughtfulness, self-reflection and smarts. In other words, there must be a willingness to let things naturally unfold. Tired of talking to the hand? Below, Farquharson, along with Linda Bishop, president of Thought Transformation, Atlanta, and Devin O'Brien, M.A., senior business consultant at O'Brien Corporation, St. Charles, Ill., share five ways to get results—and handshakes.
1. Perform a Dry Run
Knowing how to anticipate problems is key. Bishop suggested mapping out a course of action prior to the call. Try composing a list of all the objections you've heard over the years. What type of approach would invite open and honest dialogue?
"Figure out how to change people's minds. Practice those conversations. Better yet, record them and listen to yourself," Bishop said. "How do you sound? Would you buy from you? Keep practicing until the answer is 'yes.'"
2. Charm the Gatekeeper
The gatekeeper is arguably one of the most important people in the sales process. While he or she may not be in charge of a company's purchasing decisions, this individual is the link between you and the appropriate contact, so play nice. O'Brien believes that respect, curiosity and courage can go a long way.
"The individual standing between you and your prospect knows more about their business, the prospect and their needs than you ever will on the first pass. Ask questions, learn and gather intelligence on how you can tactfully approach your prospect," he remarked. "We have a fundamental desire to help those who approach their needs in the right way. It's easy to feel important when others ask you for help—allow the gatekeeper to become your trusted advisor.
"[...] Be transparent and vulnerable with the gatekeeper. What's driving you to connect with your prospect? A genuine sense of purpose means more than any generic sales tactic ever could," O'Brien continued. "Be larger than life, maintain perspective and approach the first contact as a confident difference maker."
3. Listen Well
Many things can go wrong during the amount of time it takes to court a potential client. As O'Brien pointed out, some mistakes are easy to correct—showing up late to a meeting, wearing the wrong attire on a visit, etc. Others, however, are more detrimental to the bottom line.
"[...] The biggest mistake salespeople make is failing to understand the needs and values of their customer. Listening skills are a necessity with salespeople, but we can easily take this skill for granted and make too many assumptions about what's important to the people who buy from us," O'Brien mentioned. "Seek to understand, continuously gather feedback and refine your understanding to develop a fully targeted and quality-driven sales process."
Farquharson compared salespeople to eager schoolchildren looking to show off their intellect. "Remember when we were in elementary school and the teacher would ask a question? We'd all 'ooh-ooh-ooh' and wave our hands in the air, anxious for the chance to prove ourselves. Same thing," he said. "Reps need to remember this: You learn nothing with your mouth open. Listen with your ears, yes. But also with your eyes and your body language." He encouraged salespeople to redirect their energy and understand the role of "student." "Ask questions that delve into a subject deeper, even if you think you understand," Farquharson added.
4. Give Them Solutions
Clients are interested in what you can do for them. There are plenty of product pushers to go around. The question is: Are you a problem solver? "Becoming a problem solver starts by becoming a problem understander," Farquharson explained. "That is, you have to make an effort to learn the client's business challenges and business needs before you know which of your products or services to offer as a solution."
Bishop agreed, adding that salespeople often make the mistake of selling too soon. Instead, ask probing questions. She offered quoting as an example. "Is there anything critical about the specifications or time frame on their project? Have they had any issues on this type of project in the past? The goal of questions is to find a problem the client wants to avoid," Bishop said.
O'Brien recommended developing a formal problem-solving process. He outlined the steps to a popular formula:
- Define the problem to be solved.
- Gather information and clarify the current situation.
- Outline a desired "to-be state."
- Create an action plan to fill in the gaps.
- Measure results and repeat success.
5. Don't Give Up
Certain sales are impossible to close on the first try. But with persistence, which O'Brien refers to as a "differentiating factor," salespeople can work on chipping away at objections and building a rapport. This is also a good place to stop and evaluate your mental toughness. "The most important characteristic you can have as a print salesperson in 2014 is diligence. It took Mel Fisher 17 years to find the Atocha, a Spanish ship, and its sunken treasure of gold off of Key West. Every day, he stepped on the ship and said to his men, 'Today is the day.' That's the attitude you need to embrace," Farquharson insisted. "If not, I hear Walmart is hiring."