"Why should we go with you?"

If this question comes up once too often during your sales meetings I'd suggest taking a step back and asking yourself why. 

This is classic 'pitch bait' and most salespeople fall into the trap of launching into an elevator pitch.

But the reason it's coming up at all is most likely your fault.

And what it translates to - is your prospect looking at you as a standard vendor.

They see your interaction as transactional only.

They believe they have all the power, i.e. money & choice.

They're inviting you to persuade and convince them as that is what most self-serving & pushy salespeople do.

And if it does come up simply respond with something like...

"I'm not yet convinced you should as I don't know enough about your situation yet...so let me ask you." (& back into questions).

This demonstrates credibility and will turn the dynamic of the conversation on its head.

Prevention, however, is better than cure.

So if you don't want to be treated like just another vendor, you need to act & sound different to every other salesperson.

And you need to do this from the very start, making the entire conversation about them. 

- Asking great questions.

- Qualifying out quickly.

- Ditching the pitch. 

- Caring about their problems with childlike curiosity.

- No attachment to outcome.

Forget about your solution - this can come later once you've both decided there's synergy as potential partners.

Not a You Vs Them dynamic.

Sales should be a complementary interaction, two equal partners with mutual respect.

Not combative.

And never with the salesperson turning into a subservient panderer.

#sales #selling #mindshift