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How to Dispel Anger with Difficult Prospects #466
Have you ever wanted to throttle a prospect despite the fact you know it would kill the deal? And then luckily you found some composure and decided to hide from them rather than to become one of them? That’s not a solution. The entire science of selling is based around finding an agreement on an exchange of value. Pissing off your prospects is the surest path to pissing away your career! So what’s a seller to do when dealing with difficult prospects? That’s the topic for today.
Today’s Chapter: Defusing Difficult Prospects
The Master Seller has no mind of their own.
They are aware of the needs of prospects.
They are good to prospects that treat them well.
They are also good to prospects that don’t treat them well.
They shed rude comments
like a duck sheds water
Humble they are a good neighbor,
Optimistic like a child.
In time prospects look and listen.
Today’s Story
From the grapevine Pat heard some disturbing news about one of Chris’s accounts. Pat immediately called,
“I heard you got angry with one of the decision makers and some harsh words were exchanged. Is that right?”
Chris hesitated “Yes, but they had it coming. They’ve got no idea what they’re doing and they don’t appreciate all I’ve done for them.”.
Head shaking Pat responded “Look, we need to treat everyone with respect no matter how nice or rude they are. And not because it may blow up in social media or put a deal in jeopardy but because it’s our responsibility to be humble and help. Our job is to let prospects become aware of our products and accept that it may take awhile for them to find value. Getting angry helps no one.
Chris shrugged “You have no idea how dumb these people are”.
“Maybe so” said Pat “But I do know this, holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. As Gandhi said to lose patience is to lose the battle.”
Take Action Quote
I get this can be hard at times. When you put your shoulder to the wheel and all you get is a cold shoulder, you take it personal. But it’s not personal.
“When people are rude to you, they reveal who they are, not who you are.”- Anon
It’s for us to be a good citizen who isn’t afraid to lend a shovel to the next door neighbor who’s excited to plant a spring garden. Sure they may soon ask to borrow a hoe and a rake and before you know it your garage is empty and tidy for the first time in years. Meanwhile your neighbor is harvesting a bumper crop of Rutger tomatoes. When your generous and patient people start to trust and yes, they may start asking to borrow your lawn mower. But more importantly when you offer some advice and wisdom, they’ll be ready to listen.
As sellers, the sooner you wake up to this fact, the less anxiety you’ll experience when dealing with difficult prospects. The take away here is to not get angry, but to get neighborly.
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How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com
I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it.
This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net
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