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Too Much Enthusiasm Can Kill a Sale
Featured Author:
Jill Konrath
Jill is a leading-edge sales strategist and business advisor … author of bestselling book, Selling to Big Companies … an in-demand sales speaker who provides much needed wake-up calls to sales organizations.
Jill publishes an industry-leading newsletter, hosts a widely read blog and has written hundreds of articles on sales success. She’s frequently quoted in top business media including Entrepreneur, New York Times, Business Journal, Selling Power, Sales & Marketing Management as well as countless online publications. She’s been a guest of Entrepreneur Radio, Sales Rep Radio, Small Business Trends and more. Most recently, Jill launched the Sales Shebang – a web resource, conference and community for savvy saleswomen who sell to the corporate market.
Jill’s training programs are ideal for sellers who are struggling to crack into corporate accounts, experienced sales pros who need fresh strategies and sales teams launching new products.
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Jill Konrath
When I opened the email, the first sentence jumped out me: “I’ve just been to your website and your company is a perfect fit for our services!” Clearly the seller was really excited about his discovery.
On the other hand, I was backpedaling as fast as I could. I wanted nothing to do with him. If he’d caught me on the phone, my instincts would have immediately erected barricades. If we were meeting in person, objections would be spewing from my mouth.
Why? Because he seemed too excited about selling me. Without even realizing it, his approach screamed “self-serving” and I recoiled from it. My reaction isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s the norm. You do the same thing. We all hate being sold!
Yet invariably, I see sellers engaging in self-sabotaging behavior that can only lead to failure. For example:
•When their company introduces a new product or service, most sellers rush to convert their hottest prospects. Filled with passion, they unwittingly create insurmountable obstacles that actually derail their sales efforts or delay them indefinitely.
•When good-hearted, intelligent and talented people put on their sales hat, they suddenly morph into blathering idiots. It’s as if they think this is what selling is all about – even though they’re repulsed by their own actions.
•When well-intentioned sellers are fearful of meeting their quotas or even staying in business, their desperation to land a client or get the order causes them to push themselves on others.
Whether you want to or not, you always communicate your intent. Prospective buyers sense it instantaneously and react accordingly. If they feel you have their best interests in mind, they’re attracted to you. Conversely, they’re repelled by any behavior that smacks of self-serving intentions.
To be successful selling your prospect or service, focus on making your prospects successful. Use these strategies to re-jigger your thinking.
