One Friday evening, a salesman named Harry and his wife Sarah were having a petty argument.
After shouting back and forth, Sarah finally suggested, "Let's make a deal. To end this pointless argument, you admit that I am right and I will admit that I am wrong."
Harry thought for a moment, letting his sales brain work on the matter at hand. He then agreed to Sarah's proposal as long as she went first.
Sarah, smiled and then said to Harry, "I'm sorry Harry, I am wrong."
In response, Harry shouts happily, "You're right!"
Harry spent the rest of the weekend on the receiving end of a huge silent treatment. Whether that was a good outcome or bad, depends on Harry's point of view of course.
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in any petty argument that might develop between yourself and a prospect or customer; that it is always best to let them vent first. The order of your questions, and statements can be very important in the encounter's outcome. But whatever you do, don't openly declare that you are right or that they are wrong. Because if you do, as a sales rep, you could be given the silent treatment. And in business, from a commission standpoint, that's a very bad thing!
"Silence is argument carried out by other means." - Che Guevara
After shouting back and forth, Sarah finally suggested, "Let's make a deal. To end this pointless argument, you admit that I am right and I will admit that I am wrong."
Harry thought for a moment, letting his sales brain work on the matter at hand. He then agreed to Sarah's proposal as long as she went first.
Sarah, smiled and then said to Harry, "I'm sorry Harry, I am wrong."
In response, Harry shouts happily, "You're right!"
Harry spent the rest of the weekend on the receiving end of a huge silent treatment. Whether that was a good outcome or bad, depends on Harry's point of view of course.
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in any petty argument that might develop between yourself and a prospect or customer; that it is always best to let them vent first. The order of your questions, and statements can be very important in the encounter's outcome. But whatever you do, don't openly declare that you are right or that they are wrong. Because if you do, as a sales rep, you could be given the silent treatment. And in business, from a commission standpoint, that's a very bad thing!
"Silence is argument carried out by other means." - Che Guevara
