It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of “gotta make the sale” when trying to meet or exceed your monthly quota. But prospects can always tell when you’re pushing a sale and are desperate for their signature on the dotted line. How do you escape this sales trap?
If you focus on the problem that your target audience is trying to solve, the likelihood of success increases. What are their pain points? What does your product/service offer that helps alleviate their stress? Do your homework and speak their language. The customer doesn’t care that you’re 5 sales shy of your goal this month. He is interested in what you can do for him, not what he can do for you.
Of course, some problems are universal – save money, decrease time spent on [name a project], or increase productivity. The key is specificity and knowing what is unique to their area of expertise. For example, when I worked in business development and prospected into accounts payable departments (before the majority of large companies went paperless), I researched to see that oftentimes it was difficult for clerks to locate all relevant documents for an invoice that had been credited for damaged goods. My company had a solution for this specific problem and it allowed me to speak their language. It was the start to building credibility because I expressed that I understood this one aspect of their job that was a source of frustration. I could put myself in their shoes and it often got me in the door.
So when you find yourself falling back into old habits, try to remember to focus on the problem and not the sale. Happy selling!
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