With the exception of the Rolling Stones and Apple, very few of us have the luxury of working in a profession whereby our clients line up outside the door, clamoring to purchase our latest widget. While some brands have done a great job of creating a buzz, many sales professionals, especially those of us in the hearing healthcare arena, a new product launch does not lead to pandemonium. Most of us work within a profession that requires a certain set of skills and competency in order to solve the challenges presented to us in our various consultations with current and prospective clients.
A transaction does not magically take place. It must be mutually agreed upon. In order to reach this accord, the salesperson must have earned the right to make the recommendation.
Unless your deal exclusively with clairvoyants, most transactions require we “ask for the business” in one way or another.
Sales reluctance, just like call reluctance, is a very real thing. Often times we are afraid of the potential for rejection, therefore we avoid that possibility. The good news about reluctance, is when equipped with the proper set of tools, the professional salesperson can tilt the scales in their direction, in essence shifting the odds into their favor for the desired outcome. Sales is a very coachable, learnable profession. After all, we’re all in the business of selling something, and if you don’t believe me, ask a teacher how they convince their students to the benefits of completing their homework in a timely manner.
Nothing happens in sales until the business has been asked for
When I was a freshly minted Hearing Instrument Specialist, I can still remember my first patient. She was a retired cafeteria worker who had difficulty hearing the bingo that she played at her local supermarket. I made the mistake, as we all have, of assuming this patient did not have the financial means, nor the desire, to invest in premium hearing technology. However, having been through significant training with my father and other apprentices, I worked my way through a thorough evaluation, answered professionally any questions she had, then offered her a couple of solutions to her challenges. I was taken aback when she opted for the most expensive set on the list, because she just wanted the best, and it was important to her. Had I not asked, she would not have received, and a critical aspect of the patient journey would not have been made abundantly clear to me.
So, Rule #1 in sales is this:
“If you do not ask, you do not receive.”
Stay tuned as I reveal another core tenet of the sales process…
