Do you get off track after a poor sales conversation spending time and energy crying over spent milk? What do you do immediately after a sales call that doesn't work out? Many salespeople call time out. A time out may be exactly what you need. It's how you use that time out that provides a benefit for you.
During prime selling time it's not uncommon to find salespeople sitting in the local coffee shop reading the paper because they need a little time to get over the last sales call. When you have a really bad sales conversation it can be upsetting even demoralizing. Time to regroup before the next appointment can be time well spent.
While the experience is fresh in your mind it's the best time to actually learn from the experience, and make adaptations so you don't repeat it. In all likelihood you got a stall or objection, or you just didn't connect from the start and never had a conversation with the other person to begin with. If you're going to get value from this experience there are a couple things you need to do.
Where did things start to go wrong? When you don't connect ask yourself if it was because: you didn't know enough about the prospect before the appointment, you didn't adapt your communication style to one that was more comfortable to the prospect, or because you tried to sell the prospect. Another common reason you didn't connect is because you failed to listen to what the prospect was saying.
If you don't know it, when you get a stall or objection when your solution is a good match for the prospect it's because you didn't help the prospect to discover the value in your solution. That means you either don't understand the buying process, or you just need more practice. But in the meantime all is not lost.
Make a list of all the stalls and objections you know you'll get or could get. Here are some common general objections:
I can't pay for this This sounds too hard I need to take care of this first Call me back in six months I need to look around.
Add to your list until you've thought of as many as you can. Start thinking of examples and stories of other people in similar situations who thought these things too. Use those stories to make your point to remove the objection.
Engaging the prospect with stories is a non-threatening way of getting the prospect to look at things from another perspective. Stories help people to gain a better understanding, and they increase your connection. As you spend time replaying the conversation and thinking of ways you can adapt your behavior in the future you'll start to regain your confidence. You'll get fired up for the next insurance sales conversation, and you'll be much better prepared.
About the Author
About the author: Cheryl Clausen can help you get where you want to be. Look here to see how your Sales Skills measure up. What if you just had more time? Improve your Time Management Skills, check this out