Never Pressure, Always Persuade

Many salespeople have been taught to “close early, close often and close hard.” This high pressure may get you the sale, but at what price? Good salespeople need to be persistent, not pushy. Knowing the difference can help you turn one-time buyers into career-long, profitable business partners. To make the buying experience one your prospects will want to repeat, learn the difference between pressure and professionalism.

I once overheard an interesting conversation while eating breakfast in Atlanta. A young married couple in a nearby booth were ordering their meals, and the husband was trying to persuade his wife to try grits. Apparently, the waitress had convinced the young man that he’d like them, but his wife still refused to try them.

Her husband and the waitress made it their mission to persuade the young woman to try grits. She finally relented, but when her meal arrived I noticed that she ate only the sausage and biscuit. The moral of the story? Those who relent (in the face of pressure) often resent later. These five tips will help keep you from crossing the line between professional and high-pressure salesmanship:

1) High-pressure salespeople talk 80 percent of the time and listen 20 percent. Real professionals listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent. True sales professionals want to serve their customers and meet their needs, but you can’t find out what those needs are if you’re talking. To help you adhere to the 80-20 rule, prepare thoughtful, open-ended questions that will keep your prospects talking and telling you how to sell to them. Concentrate on what they’re saying instead of deciding what you’re going to say next. Extensive product and industry knowledge will help make you successful, but resist the urge to share it all with your prospects. The more you listen, the more you show how much you care about improving their businesses and their lives.

2) High-pressure salespeople push to close a deal. Real professionals work to open an account. If you want repeat customers, make their first buying experience a pleasure. When you’re only interested in your own commission and profits, it shows. Learn to view your customers as lifelong business partners – as people and not just deals. Remember that in a profitable, long-term selling relationship, the close is only the beginning. When you have a “here today, gone tomorrow” attitude toward your customers, you may find that your customers are here today and gone tomorrow as well.

3) High-pressure salespeople are insistent. Real professionals are persistent. When real professionals know their products or services are perfect for a certain prospect, they pursue them without being bothersome. Let your prospects and customers know their business is important to you and that you’re prepared to serve them now or later. Think of imaginative, amusing ways to remind them that you haven’t given up. Timing is critical. Your prospects may say they’re not interested now, but if you’re convinced they’ll benefit from what you have to offer, chances are they’ll realize it sooner or later.

4) High-pressure salespeople persuade based on special features. Real professionals address special customer needs. Your prospects won’t care about your product’s bells and whistles if those features don’t satisfy their needs. Stop selling your product long enough to find out if your prospects will really benefit from it. If they will, present product features selectively, and match them to customer needs. Your goal should be to sell your customers exactly what will benefit them most.

5) High-pressure salespeople talk about special deals and discounts. Real professionals talk about value. You might think sweet deals or low prices make your prospect’s mouth water, but long-term customers want products and salespeople that meet their needs. They’re less interested in price than in value and quality. Salespeople who really care about their prospects emphasize how the quality and durability of the product will benefit them, not how they have cheaper prices than the competition.

In many cases, high-pressure salespeople aren’t looking beyond the present quarter. They often underestimate the value of long-term customers, sacrificing the customer relationship for the quick sale. When it comes to sales, the Golden Rule always applies: Sell to your customers as you would like to be sold. Your customers will stand the test of time if they don’t crack under sales pressure.