In sales, being different is good

Willie Loman, the protagonist in Death of a Salesman, needed only a calendar, an order book and a phone to conduct business. He conducted business in the simplest way possible. The film Glengarry Glenross portrayed salespeople as liars and lazy. Ask the average person what words come to mind when they hear the word ‘salesman’ and they’ll say things like cheating, conniving, manipulative, trained killer etc.

What are you doing to avoid being lumped into those stereotypes? Is your industry competitive and populated with salespeople all champing at the bit to get the order? Would breaking out of that crowd be of benefit to you? Being seen as different from the pack will take you to a different plane and set you apart. It will also take some work to make it happen.

Here are a few thoughts about adapting your thinking and conducting your business to be different to the average salesperson:

1. Recognise that buyers are human, acting out psychological ‘scripts’ reflecting their needs, desires, biases and defence mechanisms. The best salespeople are amateur psychologists. They understand that everything a buyer says or does is a reflection of scripts they carry in their heads. These scripts reflect various degrees of psychological maturity. Buyers are prisoners to their scripts. Therefore, there is no reason to be upset by their ‘readings’.

2. Take a close look at your own psychological maturity. Do you whine, complain and manipulate like a child? Do you control, smother, nurture and criticise like a parent? Or do you behave like a composed, confident adult? The very best salespeople have egos and personas that reflect more of the nurturing parent and the adult than the critical parent or child. The time you spend in the adult emotional state is when you can observe what happens during your sales call from a dispassionate viewpoint.

3. Are you OK with a no? Do you think that every prospect is a qualified buyer and can’t wait to convince them why they should deal with you, or are you comfortable with the notion that not everyone you meet with is a genuine ‘fit’? How you think about this will definitely show up in your approach and your results.

4. Talk about your feelings; don’t bury them. You and the buyer are engaged in a psychological drama where each is trying to maintain security and control. If you feel manipulated, stressed or uncomfortable, bring it out in the open. If you think the buyer is feeling pressured, bring that out in the open. After clearing the air you can move toward closing the sale.

5. Get into the buyer’s shoes. Reverse your perspective. What might the buyer be feeling and why? What emotion is the buyer revealing? If you were the buyer and had to deal with a salesperson like you, how would you feel? Empathise with these feelings.

6. Listen to your ‘coach’. Listen to your inner voice of reason and objectivity – your ‘coach’. Your coach wants you to make the sale, and doesn’t want you to waste time and energy protecting your ego. Listen empathetically to the buyer and respond non-defensively.

7. Disengage. Imagine that there is a third person in the room observing this interaction in silence. When the going gets tough for you, become that third person. In your detached state, ask yourself what you are seeing and hearing. What advice would you give to the salesperson (you)?

Getting a bigger share of the business is the objective. If you act like what is considered ‘typical’ of a salesperson, the buyer will usually attempt to control the situation and you may end up having to cut your price to win the business, or in a ‘hide and chase’ game with the prospect.

©2006 Sandler Systems, Inc.

Phil Lee is the Master Franchisee of Sandler Sales Institute, an international sales and management training franchise with over 200 offices worldwide.

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