Today in Yoga class we were challenged to hold a handstand for sixty seconds. This is tough to do even with a wall as support. Our instructor, David, says it’s because we get lazy with our bodies, and we have certain tendencies that we need to overcome.
We have the tendency to slouch our shoulders, to relax our muscular energy, and to collapse our heart. We must actively concentrate on behaviors that will overcome these tendencies to perfect all of our postures.
Salespeople, too, have negative tendencies.
When we’re not concentrating on certain positive behaviors, we default into behaviors that prohibit us from getting a sale.
Here’s a list of some of these tendencies:
1. We prejudge our customers. We look for reasons they won’t buy, not for reasons they will.
2. We talk more than we listen. Don’t think of what you’re going to say next, a clever rebuttal, or if what they’re saying will prevent a sale. We need to listen so hard that it hurts.
3. We get defensive when we hear an objection. We must allow the customer to fully share their concerns before attempting to reconcile them.
4. Failure to Isolate Objections. When we hear an objection, we accept it right away rather than isolating it and assessing if it’s real. The most powerful closers isolate objections to make certain they’re the only objection and the final objection.
5. We sell features rather than benefits. We talk about how our product works instead of sharing the emotional benefits of owning it.
Tendencies are in a sense default mode, they’re what we do when we’re on auto pilot.
They require little or no effort. Just like working out builds muscles, and eating vegetables instead of cookies gives us a better figure, overcoming tendencies builds our sales muscles. Think of overcoming tendencies as your sales willpower.
What tendencies can you think of, that if overcome would increase your sales performance?