Why Sellers Need to Recognize the Elephant in the Room #501

Have you ever skirted the truth when talking to a prospect? Have you ever redirected the conversation to put your offering in the best light? Have you ever wondered why a prospect stops taking your calls when at first you thought everything was going well? Maybe the prospects saw through your avoidance. Maybe they sensed there was something wrong with your product or service. Maybe you lost their trust. In this week’s episode, we talk about the elephant in the room, those big issues that salespeople are afraid to bring up with hopes they will just go away. But they don’t!

Today’s Chapter – Elephant In The Room

At the first scent of objection,
the fool avoids it,
deluding themselves the deal is won.
Like rotten wood covered with new paint,
the sale soon crumbles when bearing weight.

Better to shine a bright light on issues,
addressing them as best able,
accepting the truth for what it is.

A destination can be reached by more than one path.
Seek the truth and let the sale be.

Today’s Story

During the sales call the buyer had a long list of questions to ask Chris. One inquiry was particularly vexing. It concerned a service Chris’s company didn’t provide. It was all Chris could do to avoid answering the question with honesty.

Back at the office, Chris was certain the deal was dead and asked Pat how to avoid the situation. Pat answered, “When you get into these situations it’s best to deal with them head-on. Ask if the service is important to their business and how come. Most times you’re going to find the buyer is just curious. The product gap isn’t a deal breaker. It’s low on their list. But sometimes it’s important and it’s better to learn that now.

Pat went on. “Redirecting and avoiding the question does no one any good. After reflecting on your non-answer, the buyer will lose trust and ghost you. You don’t need that frustration! Always deal with the elephant in the room. If you don’t it will be near impossible to restart the conversation.

Take Action Quote

Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon famously said,

“If there is an elephant in the room, introduce him.”

Too often sellers avoid addressing gaps in their solution with the hope that buyers won’t notice. You can’t avoid an objection by avoiding the conversation. Sooner or later the truth comes out and sooner, is always better than later.

There is an old Zen story about a student who asked the master, “What is the most important teaching of Zen?” The master replied, “Whatever is needed at the moment.”

Once you understand your prospect’s needs at the moment, you’ll know if you can help. The best way to know what they need is to ask completely and fully and especially recognize those elephants in the room.

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help, showing what you have, and helping them make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

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