The Two "Little Voices": The Salesperson's Worst

Enemy and Best Friend

There is a "little voice" that every salesperson wants to hear when he’s on the phone with a prospect.  It's the
voice of your conscience, your coach.

            “Ask him if he’s the final decision maker.”

            “Ask her why she thinks the product is a good fit for her business.”

            “Ask him if the service is within his budget.”

            “Ask her again for the sale!  Don’t get sidetracked.”

            Sales 101.  It seems simple enough, getting down the basics, but the mind of the salesperson, especially
someone new to the field, is sometimes cluttered with thoughts of the other “little voice.”  This voice is all over
the map, unfocused.  It’s negative and downright useless.  It’s the voice of doubt.  Doubt is in the questions that
haunt us.  Questions like:

            “What am I going to say next?”

            “What if I don’t know the answers to his questions?”

            “What if he hangs up on me? … Hello?”

            What if?

            There are a lot of salespeople that internalize a great deal.  They make the job of sales more difficult than
it needs to be.  They try to compensate for the lack of confidence, or product knowledge, or experience
by talking more andlistening less.  They press on when they should hold back, and they back off when
assertiveness, that extra push, is needed.

            In short, they complicate the entire sales process by wondering “what if?”

            So, let’s make this simple.  You’re a salesperson and you’re selling hamburgers.  Find the guy at the
company who eats hamburgers and can pay for them out of his own pocket.  In other words, find the decision
maker as quickly as possible.

            That may sound a bit too simplistic and unsophisticated, but it’s a good start.  Everything builds off of
finding the right person but there are salespeople out there—ridiculous as it may sound—who are trying to sell
burgers to vegetarians.  They take way too long before asking, “Do you eat burgers?” and often the prospect's
reply is, “No, I eat tofu.”

            But let’s return to that annoying “little voice,” the voice of doubt.  Why does doubt exist in the thoughts
of a salesperson?
            Rejection.  A salesperson that is caught up in the “R” factor is going into a call knowing he’s going to
lose.  And guess what?  He will.  They fail to remember that the more rejections—justified rejections with
decision makers—they face the closer they are to making a deal.

            Product knowledge.  Know what you’re selling, inside out.  Don’t be lazy.  Create a personal FAQ and
keep it handy.  If you don't know, please, say you don't know.

            Waiting to speak.  Listen to the prospect, not just to the words but how he’s saying the words.  Don’t get
caught up with what you want to say next.  It will come naturally.  If you’re truly listening, you’ll never be lost
for words.  At the same time, however, there are prospects that like to talk—a lot.  Know where you are in the
conversation (i.e. asking for the sale, needing more information) and just get back to basics.

            Do they eat hamburgers?  Yes.  Do they pay for their own burgers?  Yes.  How do they like their burger
and can they have it their way?  No, you’re not Burger King but now you’re negotiating, now you're …
cooking.  (I couldn't resist, sorry.)

            Good salespeople don’t internalize.  They keep things simple.  The “little voice” in their head helps them
with the sales process (“Let him finish and then ask again for the deal.”) and that other "little voice"(“What if he
doesn’t buy?”) is nowhere to be found.