Avoid The Trap Of Playing The Prospect's Game

OWINGS MILLS, Md., April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualities that make for excellence in sales – drive, motivation, attention to detail – pale in comparison to attitude.  In no other profession is rejection expected on a daily basis. With the correct mindset, however, it's possible to not only tolerate rejection but also welcome it as the price for success, and all the psychological and monetary rewards that success brings.

THE ART AND SKILL OF SALES PSYCHOLOGY:  Why Buyers and Sellers Do What They Do (Sandler Training) by veteran sales trainer Brad McDonald provides essential techniques for putting your sales career on an upward trajectory.

Almost all problems in sales are, at their root, conceptual problems.  This means that the real problem is a faulty belief system.  For example, the prospect says, "Thanks for the presentation.  Let me think it over, I'll call you next week."  Most salespeople are afraid that if they question the prospect's true intentions, the prospect will become angry, so they become compliant and do as the prospect says.  To change the way prospects behave, it's necessary to change one's own belief systems first.

What holds salespeople back, more than anything else, is fear:  fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of not making any money, fear of hearing "no," fear of not being liked.  It's important to remember that failure is the greatest sales lesson.

Here are some tips for handling rejection:

Expect your share of rejection: When you strike out, you're that much closer to the next home run.

Let "no" be your second favorite word: It's better than dealing with "let me think it over" or "send me some literature."

Understand why people are mean sometimes: It usually has nothing to do with you.  They may have needed somebody to dump on, and you were the first person handy.

You don't have to turn suspects into prospects: You're just on a search for that which is already gold – that interested person – so you can set an appointment.  If there is no interest, politely disengage.

THE ART AND SKILL OF SALES PSYCHOLOGY (https://www.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/sales-psychology) equips sales managers and front-line salespeople with techniques for mastering the head games that prospects play, and converting opportunities into victories.

SOURCE Sandler Training