April 24, 2019
Sales Prejudice
Sent by Jonathan Stark on April 24th, 2019
Are you prejudiced?
Prejudice—A preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
When you first meet with a new prospective client to have a sales interview, be reaaaalllly flexible in your mind about what you might end up doing for them. Don’t decide in advance what you’re going to do for them. Leave your preconceived notions at the door.
Once you have a chance to listen to them and understand exactly where they’re coming from, what outcome they desire, and what they value, THEN you can start thinking about how you might help them achieve it.
If you walk in thinking, “Well, all my work happens on-site… and they’re on the other side of the world… and I’ll HAVE to be on-site for a minimum of three days… so the price MUST be at least...”
Maybe there’s a way to get them what they want without you flying around the world to be on-site for three days. There might be 100 ways to skin their particular cat. Until you know exactly what your client is trying to achieve, there is no way to determine scope (never mind price).
Yours,
—J