“You are a breath of fresh air” is the exclamation II always heard from prospects and clients alike while in the field of professional sales. This actually became my brand.
The strategy of being “fresh air” translates beautifully into interviewing and entrepreneurship to put you into the top candidate position. If you are ever frustrated with slow-poke decision makers, this demeanor will ease tension and help you enjoy a smooth sale.
Two situations routinely appear as roadblocks to any possibility of making a sale. Upon hearing, “I didn’t have the time” or “I don’t need that now but maybe later in the year”, most entrepreneurs, job seekers and salespeople simply give up.
The next time one of these two situations occurs, try giving my relationship building approach the opportunity to present you with a pleasant fix to all of this. In the first case, people may promise to read your email and request you follow up at a specific time. But when you do, they admit they didn’t have the time to give it serious consideration. This is the point where you can make a huge step in the right direction.
Patience is a virtue in this case
In your own words state, “I realize things come up and it’s difficult to take the time. Why don’t we reset our appointment at your convenience and I’ll walk you through it at that time.” Your prospect will be relieved and grateful you didn’t try to push them into a sale. Most often they are gracious at the next meeting and discuss the possibilities. Your percentage for moving a prospect to a client will increase dramatically.
In the situation where people brush you off stating they aren’t ready now but perhaps try calling later in the year, you can easily turn this objection into a positive opportunity. Again, in your own words, verbalize it will be difficult to implement a good service when they are under the gun to implement what you have to offer. A leisurely meeting instead will enable them to better comprehend the service and determine if it will be right whenever they may be ready. I’ve never had anyone turn me down for this type of appointment.
Job searching applications
The same applies to interviewing in a good economy. Contact those companies you believe will be good for your career to ask for an informational interview. You may hear appreciation in the voice of the person you contacted but they are busy and just aren’t in a position to hire yet.
A good response would be one similar to, “This will be a good time to speak leisurely and then you will have a face with a name when an opportunity for an interview arises.” Again you increase your chances for getting what you desire.
Remember, it’s Nice People DO Get the Sale! You will find these strategies and many more in both of my books and quickly gain insight as to how they apply to both interviewing and making the sale. More importantly you will develop a loyal and referring clientele or management team.
Author:
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”. She provides team sales training, private coaching, and Inspirational keynotes for conferences to standing ovations. Elinor is available for consultation. Visit www.smoothsale.net / Call (800) 704-1499 today.
