The big question is this: Why do so many salespeople allow prospects to treat them like children? And why do salespeople take it and not realize how it happens? Especially, when doing so torpedoes their sales calls.
The sad truth is, prospects are adept at treating sales people like little kids. That’s how they control the sales call. Their implicit assumption--unknown to salespeople--is to act like parents and keep salespeople in line. To meet with them and run the sales call on their terms only.
The only way a salesperson can overcome this imbalance is to let a prospect know that he or she will not be treated like a child, but will instead relate to a prospect as one adult peer to another.
To negotiate this turnabout successfully use one of most effective pattern breaks known to sales—the upfront contract.
When you verbalize an upfront contract for a prospect, you’ll come across not as a clichéd pushy closer, but as a consultant who wants to help a prospect. You’ll delve into his or her agenda. You’ll define and describe what no means and what yes means. And here’s the kicker: by going for no, you’ll prime a prospect to get to yes.
Using an upfront contract runs counter intuitive to traditional selling methods. That’s what makes it the pattern break of all pattern breaks. You’ll talk and behave unlike every other salesperson who walks through the door.
You’ll be the one who creates the meeting scenario, defines the meeting process, and describes the probable outcomes and the courses of action.
And you’ll achieve this in a non-threatening, diplomatic way. Best of all, you’ll engage prospects in the process. They’ll participate and move with you instead of against you.
Prospects will listen and participate in the sales scenario you create, because you’ll sound and behave reasonably, as one adult to another. The result: prospects will move along with you, because they’ll feel comfortable engaging with you.
So why let prospects treat you as a child? More important, why let prospects keep you from closing sales, when using an upfront contract can multiply sales for you?
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