Persistent failure to persuade people to consider our proposals could sometimes be owing to our asking wrong people for help, seeking answers in wrong places and knocking on wrong doors. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 June 2016.
- PITFALLS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Our presumption about the capacity, abilities and influence of people our sales efforts are aimed at can fail us. Our success can be improved by learning to work with different personalities as described below.
Self-centred ones
These care about themselves, masquerading their behaviour as genuine. They’d assess and abandon you on their perceptions of your insignificance. Type includes those showing interest for what you could do for them than they would for you. They love receiving but are unwilling to share their possessions. They yearn to be appreciated.
Leverage seekers
This type may not be interested in your offerings, but would readily use you to gain leverage from their traditional and preferred solution providers. Their interactions with you are not necessarily aimed at concluding a deal, but to help legitimise their predetermined outcome.
Threatened ones
Though your offerings could help their organisation, implementing the solution could also threaten the buyer’s standing in the organisation, more so if the decision-maker approached is renowned for making unfulfilled promises.
Powerless ones
Nowadays, companies readily assign weighty titles. Some of those titles may not necessarily reflect the extent of influence and “power” holders have in the organisation. Because of the vanity of some holders, they are unwilling to admit the ceremonial nature of their roles. They’d rather continue projecting false impression of being in control.
Envious ones
Some are unhappy with their jobs and may resentfully long for what you have. Their perception and envy of your success could hamper your sales efforts.
Irritable unfriendly ones
Failure may be owing to selling to busy bodies. This kind is already overwhelmed by own workload demands. Your sales pitch might be the last thing they want to hear.
Prejudicial ones
As the title suggests, this type could have preconceived prejudicial notions about you, your offer or company and would automatically resent doing business with you.
Hardened heart ones
These are convicted people unmoved by any truth or facts. They have strong beliefs and are unwilling to listen to anything not conforming to their strong beliefs. Their convictions are despite potential superiority of your offer in solving their problems.
Convicted ones include fault seekers eager to play down and expose flaws with your offer than consider its potential benefits.
Fearful ones
Fearful ones might know about suitability of your offer but lack courage owing to their fear of unknowns. They might have witnessed failure before, increasing their aversion to risk and unwillingness to make a change.
Some include those with authority to effect change, but preferring backing of other signatories. The approach might be preferred to diminish impact of adverse consequences in the event failure occurs.
Others discourage being presented with difficulties, perhaps out of fear that such complexities could expose their inadequacies and weaknesses.
Others are too critical of themselves and are excessively concerned about other people’s perceptions of their decisions.
Overzealous ones
This type could dismiss your sales efforts owing to their over reliance in their capabilities despite their historical poor performance results.
Overpromising ones
These include those showing earlier excitement about your offer but their enthusiasm quickly fading thereafter. Changing priorities can result in a change in mood. The same effect could be had on new fads and over analysis of issues.
Dwindling energy levels could affect their excitement.
Deceptive ones
This lot includes those willing to lie and steal to achieve their goals. This type should be avoided where possible, without entertaining any of their advances.
Radical ones
The world of radicals is either black or white, often with nothing situational. They’d be unwilling to consider your offering if it does not conform to their preference from binary options.
Targets and budget chasers
This kind includes those willing to consider your proposed offer to enable them commit unspent funds to prevent budget cuts. Such transactions could result in wasteful spending, potentially damaging to image of your company.
Desperate ones
Deals from this kind often result from prolonged pressure and accusations of nondelivery. Care should be exercised in concluding such deals as disagreements could result from unfulfilled expectations.
- IDEAL DECISION-MAKERS TO LOOK OUT FOR
It’s ideal to interact with open-minded decision-makers. They are legacy oriented and have an enterprising spirit. Issues are judged on merit and disagreements are not personalised.
They can see potential value of the solution without wasting time and are unafraid to make bold decisions.
Others show their willingness to offer help without expectation of being rewarded.
- HELPFUL TIPS TO OVERCOMING PITFALLS
Difficult people account for many failures in the sales process. Our efforts should be aimed at influential people and those authorised to make important decisions. Goal is not to undermine anyone but limit spending inordinate time interacting with people unable to help conclude the deal.
Remaining ethical, authentic and integrous throughout the sales process is important.
As you might not know the character of decision-makers you are interacting with beforehand, you might wish to consider following helpful tips for improving results of your interactions with different personalities:
Self-centred and envious ones – Provide convincing evidence showing improvements your offerings could make to their standing and success.
Leverage seekers – Where possible, do not give out all the details of your proposed offer upfront. Suggest a retainer as compensation for your preparation efforts. Fee can be refunded on conclusion of the deal.
Threatened ones – Find ways to incorporate useful aspects of their current unworkable solution in the proposal. Break your offer to smaller deliverables with increasing benefits.
Powerless ones – Increase their knowledge about particular technical aspects of your offer. Clarify benefits to be derived and shortcomings of your proposed solution. Empower them to drive awareness and need for change in favour of your proposed offer.
Irritable unfriendly ones – Specify your sales pitch on one page only. Use pictures to present your ideas professionally.
Prejudicial ones – Humble yourself to win them over. Listen more, control your emotions, talk less and don’t interrupt them.
Hardened heart ones – Avoid debating and arguing with them. Acknowledge their good points and gently ask questions as if seeking clarification so their responses could result in them agreeing with your proposition. Make them feel in control of the proposed answer.
Fearful ones – Present comparative evidence from similar companies your proposed solution has been implemented showing benefits derived. Provide contrasting evidence showing adverse effects of inaction.
Overzealous ones – Elaborate on intricate details they are possibly underestimating. Provide facts about failures committed by similar organisations underestimating effort involved. Provide evidence of your capacity and agility to implement the proposed solution, including testimonials from your clients.
Overpromising ones – Do not provide all the details of your offer at once. Avoid prolonged sales process and respond quickly to clarify uncertainties. Give brief and clear correct answers and persuade them to commit.
Deceptive ones – If it is unavoidable interacting with them, ensure issues are clarified in writing. This naturally drives them away if intention was to deceive. Otherwise, it encourages professional interactions.
Radical ones – Clarify your business principles earlier on. Avoid being edgy, but resolve any disparaging remarks quickly.
Targets and budget chasers – Clarify assumptions, inclusions and exclusions in your offer, including its capabilities and limitations and suitable and unsuitable uses.
Desperate ones – Interact regularly with them ensuring alignment of expectations. Have capacity and contingency to resolve cyclical demand.
In all things, be prayerful and have faith.
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