Thoughtful Thursdays – The emotional cost of change trumps all
Most of us have experienced the situation where an order that was “in the bag” was not received, and it drives us crazy.
It can cause us to second guess our sales process and question our selling skills. Not to worry!
Todays thought is about being mindful of the emotional component in the buying process. If you sense a fear of change, remove it.
The sales check list looked fine:
- Prospects questions were answered
- Concerns were addressed
- Needs correctly identified
- Samples were approved
- Price is good
So what happened?
It could be that the emotional cost of change trumped all the excellent sales work.
Seeing this coming and taking steps to remove the emotional barrier are sales skills developed over a period of time. It involves interpretation of what your prospect is saying, verbally and non-verbally. Sensing discomfort and being able to ask the right questions to get to the source of the discomfort. Also recognize that you may not be able to overcome the emotional costs that your prospect is anticipating.
- Be observant
- Sometimes it is in the eyes
- Notice the body language
- Identify the fear the prospect has if they buy from you – Ask them
Some customer buying fears I have run into include:
- Inexperience of supplier – new business
- Stability of supply chain
- Customer has been burned before
If you sense there may be an emotionally driven reluctance, address it right away. A pre-emptive approach is often successful.
Good selling,
Richard
Have a question about sales? Contact Sakanashi and Associates Inc. and I will respond.
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