Thoughtful Thursdays – Be mindful of the hidden sales influencer
Today’s sales thought is an updated post from a few years ago about the hidden sales influencer.
The hidden sales influencer is the external force that derails all your sales preparation and value building sales activities. The consequences of input from this person include unreasonable price objections or worse, loss of a the sale. The hidden influencer can be a serious barrier to sales.
Here is a scenario where the hidden sales influencer is in play.
You have engaged your prospect and they have expressed an interest in doing business with you. There is a bit work to be done by yourself and your prospect to iron out the details before the sale is made. This not an unusual situation and you agree to meet next in a few days.
Your prospect goes home and during a conversation with a good friend, the subject of the pending purchase comes up. The friend asks how much they are going to pay, and as any good friend would do wants to help your prospect get the best deal. They say that the price is too high and that they know someone who can give a better deal. At that point the hidden influencer’s work is done and the sale has pretty much floated out the window.
The challenge is to mitigate the work of the hidden influencer. It is not an easy task to overcome the influence of a good friend. After all, you trust your friends, right?
Anticipating the presence of the hidden influencer with a pre-emptive strategy is a good way to hold hidden influencers at bay. Let your prospect know that there are less expensive options out there and sell the price gap by emphasizing the value that dealing with you brings. You might go as far as recommending to the prospect that they do their due diligence with the provision that they offer you the last look before deciding to go with another supplier.
On the other side of the coin, and there is always another side, a hidden sales influencer singing your praises to their friends is a great sales tool. It’s called a reference or referral.
Good selling,
Richard
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