“How do you sell to difficult people – especially the obnoxious ones?” Frankly, if you take some simple proactive steps, your own interactions with obnoxious prospects will be limited. It is not simple: many factors combine to make people around us more agreeable, but we believe our attitudes are a key factor.
How to Sell to Difficult People
You might choose to set a goal to do most of your sales by referrals or repeat business and begin to structure your work in such a way that you will minimize cold-calling. You know how easy it is for someone to mistreat you as a stranger. Here are some ideas that work:
- Keep the prospect’s interests in mind at all times and don’t compromise your values just to make a sale.
- Adopt the attitude that the more people you help, the better you will do (here are some great Zig Ziglar quotes to boost your attitude!). So, make it a point to help as many people as you can without worrying about making a sale.
- Work hard at ensuring you understand their needs and ultimate goals so you can recommend the correct solution.
- Follow up after the sale to answer any questions and make sure they are happy with their purchase.
- Ask for referrals. Satisfied clients are happy to help someone who adds value by consulting and advising them rather than those who just complete a transaction.
- Read voraciously and know your stuff. The more you know, the more value you can add.
- Consider how you can provide helpful information through newsletters, emails, or blogs (like this one… you can subscribe here), because while they cost them nothing, they might spark an idea that could help their business or be shared with a friend.
- Treat everyone you meet with dignity and respect and expect them to do the same. Most people will rise to your expectations if you are sincere. If they don’t, perhaps you don’t want them as a client.
Of course, you will meet difficult and even obnoxious people. Ironically, many of them will be salespeople trying to sell you something. If you follow this advice, we are hopeful you won’t be one of them.