Are You a Con?

A ngie Morton

You're physically ready for this appointment. You are showered and dressed and ready to go. You drive to meet the prospect, sometimes a good distance. Now it is time to convince this person that you have something that they want, need and will make life easier and more profitable. And then they say the word that you have been bracing yourself for way back when you were taking your shower. "NO."

Well, I don't care what any of the "pros" say. That one little word can rip through your hopes of getting this sale quicker than a Texas tornado. I must admit, when I was new to sales I would actually hope that my prospect would be too busy or not even show up! Can you imagine? I mean I had made the effort, wasn't that enough? Why did I have to subject myself to the possibility of hearing that little two letter word? Is that crazy thinking or what?

I learned selling from one of the best. This mentor would tell me that you have to "slow people down long enough for them to hear what you are saying." That was step number one and an extremely important one. If they are too busy to listen to you, your chances of hearing "No" just increased a hundredfold.

The second thing my mentor would do is hear a "No" and then just pretend he never heard it! The first time this happened I was readying myself for a quick departure, but for this guy, it was the cue to settle himself back in the chair as if to say, "Now we are getting somewhere!" I, on the other hand was thinking, "What is he doing? Didn't he hear that guy tell us No?" I was anxious to get to the next prospect who would be "easier," and that is where I would have lost the sale.

Back in the '70s there was an old song entitled "Love The One You're With." That is my sales mantra; same tune, slightly different lyrics changed to "Sell The One You're With." Chances are the next prospect you are putting your hopes on is not going to be much different than the one you are with now. Don't be in such a hurry to write that person off and plug on down the road to see the next one. Give the person a chance to express the first natural response to change. Most people don't want any change to affect their day-to-day operations. Change is scary, it's unpredictable, it's well new! You have to give your prospect the time to incorporate this new idea of whatever you are trying to sell. People feel safe saying "no." It is their first line of defense. It is their safety zone. Saying "yes" to change is a scary, unpredictable thing for them even when you have clearly pointed out all of the ways that changes will make their lives better, or their businesses run more efficiently, or will save them money.

Do you know where the word "con" came from? Well, nobody wants to be known as a "con artist" but the word actually came from the verb convince. Somewhere along the way this word has gotten a terrible, negative connotation, but the fact of the matter is, you have to convince your prospects that the changes are so good for them that they must take the risk. That's right, I'm telling you that you have to be a con, a con- vincer!

Next time you have an opportunity to hear the word "no" to your carefully planned ideas, just for the fun of it, settle yourself in as if you have all the time in the world to convince this prospect of the idea of change. I mean, where else would you be? You are there with a real live prospect that needs a little help with the idea of change. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the next prospect you see is going to be much different. You won't convince all of your "no's" to change to "yes," but you will certainly be giving yourself a much better chance and learning along the way just what makes that magic happen.