HTSS138 - Desperation is a stinky cologne in sales and business - Scott Sylvan Bell

HTSS137 - Desperation in sales and business 

One of the greatest lines in movies that have to do with sales is "Desperation is a stinky cologne". Chief Grady said this line in Super Troopers. It really doesn't matter if it is sales or your personal life where you are desperate, other people know it and feel it.   

If you are desperate in sales and or business you will say and do things you wouldn’t if you had a pipeline. Its important to understand where you are at. Desperation is a tough place to sell from as you look weak and or you can be taken advantage of. You do have to clear your mind before you meet with your client or potential client. 

The Stay PufT Marshmallow Man Rule applies to almost every salesperson.  Whatever objection you think you will get in sales is the one you will get from your buyer.  The reason for this is you talk around your objection to the person or the people you are meeting with. 

Supplicant behavior

Oren Klaff talked about supplicant behavior and how salespeople fall for Beta Traps from their buyers.  You can be too needy with the people you meet with because you want and need the sale. Here are a few examples of the mistakes salespeople make when they are desperate and when they are not:

• I'll wait right here for you
• I want to earn your business – puts you in a negative role (this also signals discounts to your buyer)
• Begging for the sale in any way from the people you meet with 
• “I need to be candid with you, I really need this sale”

When you work with someone you are going to sell to, the way you interact matters. You can walk and talk to the back of people you meet with and lose social value. Paying attention to body language and nonverbal cues can help you out here.  

Danger zones in sales 

There is a point where you no longer are supplicant but you are arrogant to the people you are meeting with. You do have to be careful to not go overboard. 

Constant discounting can be a problem for a salesperson during presentations as well as overinflating prices. 

What to do before a sale if you are struggling:

• Laugh – you need some humor in your life
• Get pumped up
• Motion creation emotion
• Vision drives decision
• Tell yourself you will close the deal
• In the presentation – take your time – most salespeople speed up to get to the end (set your pace)
• If you are going to discount and it gets to that point (go in stages 3.25%, 1.1% and then .66%  = Less than a 5% discount (use this as a way  to make some deals happen)