Are You Commiting Sales Self-Sabotage?
November 28, 2007
Your worst enemy to winning sales may be you. Here's how you may be sabotaging yourself, and what to do about it.
By Jeff Thull
No sales professional would intentionally sabotage his or her own success. Nevertheless, self-sabotage—the act of undermining one's own credibility and alienating customers and prospects—occurs with dismaying frequency.
Self-sabotage ranges from obvious mistakes, such as blaming customers when our products and services don't deliver, to accidental ways we insult potential buyers. It's easy to recognize "I should have known better" mistakes that damage relationships with customers. Far more common and harmful are situations in which our words and actions surreptitiously erode customer trust. We would never insult customers by suggesting they’re incompetent, or imply to an executive that we think he or she is negligent. But it happens. Salespeople unknowingly insult prospects and customers every day.
Here's a typical example: A salesperson introduces his or her solution by saying, "We save companies like yours from wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost…" It sounds innocuous on the surface. Statements such as this are standard sales-speak, and often are true, but they also contain dangling insults. If you tell customers they're wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars, aren't you also suggesting they haven't been doing their job well? Salespeople are unaware of the negative impact because such pitches comprise conventional sales training. They think it's a compelling message that taps into customer pain. But to the customer, it can sound like the salesperson is ending sentences with, "…you idiot, sir."
Sometimes you can tell when customers hear a dangling insult because they react physically. They may lean back in their chairs, cross their arms, or scowl. They might react verbally, saying something such as: "We're not losing anywhere near that much money." But usually the reaction isn't obvious, so salespeople don't realize they've insulted their customer. As a result, they misinterpret the customer's reactions. To make matters worse, salespeople’s natural response patterns often inflict even more damage. The way salespeople react to customer responses can clear the path to open communication, or become a primary instrument of self-sabotage. Two parts of the brain are particularly problematic in sales situations: the brain stem and the limbic system, scientifically defined as the "old brain." The brain stem or, "reptilian brain," controls involuntary actions, while the limbic system controls emotions such as fear and aggression. The old brain isn’t big on interpretation and analysis. It reacts to situations with lightning speed in six ways: attack, submit, flee, reproduce, nurture, or be nurtured.
So how does the old brain affect sales conversations? Continuing the example above, when a customer says, "We're not losing anywhere near that much money," a salesperson might counter with, "I'm sorry, but I think you misunderstood." This implies the customer doesn't get it, and often triggers a more irritated retort. The salesperson is unconsciously engaged in self-protection at the expense of the customer, who often protects his or her self-esteem by striking back.
Salespeople need to beware of playing the role of critical parent with customers. Early in a meeting, with the intent of "creating interest," a salesperson will say, "You probably don't realize how much time and money IT-related activities cost companies like yours each year." What do customers hear? Many of them hear a parent or superior insinuating they don't know their own business.
To end self-sabotage, stop behaving like a salesperson, and start acting like you have the customer's best interest in mind. Follow the example of a doctor diagnosing a patient. During a "diagnostic conversation," the patient's problem is explored, measured, evaluated, and communicated. When you examine your customer's situation, focus on the business problems, including how much those troubles currently cost them versus how much your solution costs. Explaining it that way will connect their brain faster to the benefits of your offering.
Physicians use established diagnostic processes that determine the order of questions and measurements. Their questions are about physical symptoms that tie the diagnosis to the patient's reality. This question-and-answer session helps patients get comfortable with the doctor's recommendations. The same communication method can help customers more clearly understand their business problem, and possible solutions, including your product or services. In the diagnostic mode we are working with issues customers experienced in the past, currently are experiencing, or those they believe they will experience in the future. Sometimes customers are not aware these "symptoms" are potential problems. Diagnosis brings clarity to their situation, and enables us to help them make quality business decisions.
The challenge for businesses today is to equip sales professionals to be more diagnostic in their conversations. There are three primary objectives during "diagnostic conversations:"
• Uncover the reality of the customer's situation (do these symptoms exist?);
• Quantify the impact of the problem (how bad is it?); and
• Create the incentive to change (is it serious enough to take action?).
To increase your diagnostic capabilities through support materials, consider including diagnostic tools in your marketing communications to help customers develop clarity around the issues you address. A "Seven Early Warning Signals" brochure, for instance, will show customers how your solution will help them address impending problems. To create more qualified prospects through your Website, guide customers through an initial diagnosis that illuminates the inefficiencies of their current approach. Last, make sure product training teaches salespeople the "symptoms" your solution solves, and how to quantitatively calculate the impact of those problems on your customer's business.
In medicine, quality diagnosis builds trust and credibility, and a patient who is ready to take action. In business, it builds differentiation and clarity, customers who respect and trust us, and more sales with profitable results.
Jeff Thull is a strategist and advisor for executive teams. As president and CEO of Prime Resource Group, he has designed and implemented business transformation and professional development programs for companies such as Shell Global Solutions, 3M, Microsoft, Siemens, Citicorp, IBM, Raymond James, and Georgia-Pacific, as well as many fast-track, start-up companies. For more information on Prime Resource Group, visit www.primeresource.com or contact the company at 800.876.0378 or support@primeresource.com.
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