How To Treat Your Prospective Client With Respect | Sales Prospecting Training
What is an invalidator? It is a person who puts other people down, insults them even subtly, disregards their opinions, does not listen, lets his own ego try to control other people, manipulates, or negates others’ feelings. How do you know if you if you tend to invalidate people?
Do you interrupt prospects while they are talking?
Are you an active listener regardless of who is speaking or how?
Is your ego—the need to be right, look good— getting in your way?
Are you more concerned with your need to make the sale than with the prospect’s needs?
What are the consequences of being an invalidator in sales? Let me give you a couple of illustrations that I witnessed in actual sales presentations:
At the end of a product presentation to UPS, the salesperson said, “Tell you what, I’ll FedEx a sample to you so that you can have it by tomorrow to review.” Dumb? Yes. Invalidation? Yes. How? Well, he sent the subtle signal that FedEx was more reliable than UPS to ship the sample. Now, whether he believed that really doesn’t matter. He lost the sale.
While making a presentation to a Pepsi-Cola distributor, the prospect asked the salesperson if she would like something to drink. Before she realized what she had said, she blurted out, “Sure, I’d love a Coke.” Dumb? Yes. Invalidation? Yes, for the same sort of reason as above.
There are hundreds of ways salespeople invalidate prospects every day. Ever say, “Let me repeat”? This assumes the prospect is hearing impaired, stupid, or inattentive.
Turn It Around
Treat prospects with respect and concern.
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