Feel It, Say It
Our culture has trained business people to ignore obstacles in sales situations. If "sticky points" come up we tend to ignore them, and hope that the client will never bring them up. Below are some examples of how acknowledging obstacles to a sale can remove them, and why it's a good policy to "feel it, say it".
Defuse a "Bomb" Before It "Blows Up". If there is a common objection, problem or obstacle in selling your product or service, it's a good idea to bring it up first and "defuse" it, instead of wondering when the prospect is going to "drop the bomb".
For example, if a company is relatively new and prospects repeatedly put them off by saying they would rather do business with "more established" companies, then have the courage to get that potential objection out of the way, early in the selling process. Hereís an example of how this might sound, "Despite the fact that weíve been doing business for some time now and have gained a reputation for providing excellent and reliable service, lots of folks I talk to still see us as the ìnew kid on the block", and have a "wait-and-see" attitude about doing business with us. I'm wondering if you might feel that way too.
If this is a real concern for the prospect, it can be dealt with early, before a lot of time and energy is invested.
The fact that the "problem" is brought up by the salesperson establishes credibility for them, and may be enough for the prospect to dispel their concerns in that area, and begin to consider the value the ìnew kidsî offer in other areas.
Eliminate Back-outs. You gave your presentation, the prospect said, "yes", and they say they'll e-mail the purchase order to you in the morning. But, what's waiting for you the next morning is a voice mail from the prospect explaining that "something's come up" and they "will get back to you shortly". You try to get them on the phone, but of course, they are unavailable. Days go by and still no contact . . . and no sale!
One way to eliminate this uncomfortable "back-out" scenario is to give the prospect a chance to back-out when they are making the buying decision. Bring up anything that surfaced during the selling process that might cause buyer's remorse and ask them if it's going to be a problem. You might even ask, "What could come up to make you delay this order?" If the prospect is going to back out, give them a chance to do so while you are still face-to-face, you'll save yourself the time and grief of "chasing" them. Remember, you can't "resell" the prospect if you can't talk to them.
It Won't "Undo" It The reason we don't want to point out the "sticky points" is that we think that bringing up a negative point could somehow "undo" the sale.
But maneuvering around obstacles often reduces our credibility, and can even come across as a slippery and "salesy" tactic. If you catch yourself ignoring an obstacle as big as a 300-pound gorilla, "feel it, say it", so your prospect will trust you more, and you won't waste time dancing around it.