Head Trash: Why Sales People Don’t Close Business!
It is normal from time to time to find yourself in a down cycle. Regardless if you are a seasoned veteran or if it’s your first sales job, it is normal to go through periods when nothing seems to click. New prospect appointments are hard to get, you have generated several proposals none of which have closed and suddenly your weekly average tumbles. Sound familiar?
What may be happening is “head trash”. The negative thoughts going on inside your head simply take over. Negative thoughts have a direct effect which often creates doubt, fear and lack of confidence. What belief system you have about outcomes is the most important and the most powerful. In other words, what is going on inside your head about believing you can win or create a positive outcome will have the most impact on the outcome.
Here are the most common head trash traps that repeat themselves and cause sales people to fail.
The Only Criteria Prospects Evaluate is Price: The belief is that price drives everything! That thinking takes us into the land of head trash and quickly translates into resentments and the strong belief that the customer will not consider added value or higher quality levels. Businesses (like you when you spend hard earned dollars) are actually pretty smart about figuring value for dollars spent. Head Trash Cure: The customer always starts with price by beating everyone up but quietly moves to value considerations and finally buys what is proven and most reliable.
- I Secretly Don’t Believe: I often find salespeople lack belief that their solutions work better than the competition and as a result lack the energy and motivation to aggressively attack a marketplace. Simply stated you don’t believe you have much more to offer than your competitor. If you don’t believe it, it simply doesn't happen! Head Trash Cure: I can really help my clients have a better experience than what they are currently receiving.
- Prospects Are Difficult: As a trainer of skills I often require role playing practice exercises as part of learning new skills. It is always the case when a salesperson takes on the imaginary role of playing a customer they become difficult and make it really hard on the person playing the role of salesperson. Why? Because salespeople always remember the worst and take on that role as if to even the score of all the abuse they have taken. The reality however is the majority of prospects are usually pretty nice people and the rare jerk is just that... rare. Head Trash Cure: 98% Percent of Prospects are decent human beings and are willing to talk with me.
- I don’t need help!: Many times, in a slump, we turn our frustration in-ward instead of getting help and advice. There is nothing wrong with taking your manager along on sales call and simply asking them to observe what you are doing. There is also nothing wrong with getting a little coaching from someone that knows how to close business. Despite the belief, it is not a sign of weakness to get help. Head Trash Cure: I am coachable and want to learn.
Remember the next time you lose a sale, it may be what’s going on inside instead of what’s happening on the outside. Head trash is normal but make sure when there is too much of it-you deal with it. When the trash can at home gets full, we empty it!
Vincent Esposito
Managing Partner
The Strickland Group – Find out why over 250 high profile CEO’s and more than 3,000 individuals would hire us to help them raise their success to the next level.
Email: vespo@sandler.com or website: www.stricklandgroup.sandler.com
