Dealing with difficult prospects

Like other responses to this tricky question, my feeling is that you have to get to know the prospect a bit. Not everyone we meet is going to be like us. We usually find it harder to get on with people who aren't like us and easier to get on with people who are like us. Often someone we term as 'difficult' isn't really difficult, they're just different.

We all adopt one of four styles of behaviour as a kind of default style, one that we are most comfortable with. Often the type of people we find it hardest to get on with are those that adopt an opposite default style. We all meet our opposites day in day out, but they're probably the people we spend very little time with, maybe our difficult customers.

So by meeting the prospect's 'difficult' behaviour head on, we may be losing a potential customer.

I guess at the end of the day if you're in an industry that has more customers than product, you can be more choosy than an industry that has more product than customers.

Originally Posted by marky Like other responses to this tricky question, my feeling is that you have to get to know the prospect a bit. Not everyone we meet is going to be like us. We usually find it harder to get on with people who aren't like us and easier to get on with people who are like us. Often someone we term as 'difficult' isn't really difficult, they're just different. We all adopt one of four styles of behaviour as a kind of default style, one that we are most comfortable with. Often the type of people we find it hardest to get on with are those that adopt an opposite default style. We all meet our opposites day in day out, but they're probably the people we spend very little time with, maybe our difficult customers. So by meeting the prospect's 'difficult' behaviour head on, we may be losing a potential customer. I guess at the end of the day if you're in an industry that has more customers than product, you can be more choosy than an industry that has more product than customers.

Well said Marky.

What are the four styles of behavior you mentioned?

Originally Posted by Gary Boye Michael, are you referring to ourselves or are you referring to the "difficult prospects" of this topic. If it is the former, why would another person's difficult behavour suggest, necessarily, that we have to make changes in ourselves to the point of reconditioning, re-training, or creating new habits? Why would that imply that there is something inadequate in us? I don't mean that as a rhetorical question. I sincerely would like the thoughts behind your post.

Great day Mr. Boye,

Thank you for your input and great question you posed.

Change is Choice.
Change for the sake of change, no.
Change for the sake to better oneself, YES.

I did not state, "imply...something inadequate in us." Those are your words.
You want to be a great sales person? Drop, for the moment the word sales, and simply be a great person to other's first.

michaelc.

Originally Posted by job ready strategist Great day Mr. Boye, Thank you for your input and great question you posed. Change is Choice. Change for the sake of change, no. Change for the sake to better oneself, YES. I did not state, "imply...something inadequate in us." Those are your words. You want to be a great sales person? Drop, for the moment the word sales, and simply be a great person to other's first. michaelc.

Thank you for clarifying your earlier post, Michael. I enjoy your contributions.

Originally Posted by Gary Boye Thank you for clarifying your earlier post, Michael. I enjoy your contributions.

no, thank you...

Azbroker

The four styles are based around the following types:

The person that always wants to be in control

The person who wants to be everyones friend and doesn't want to upset anyone

The person who is creative, has fresh ideas takes risks and has a lot of 'hunches / gut feelings'

The final one is the one that I find it hardest to communicate with - the person who is very fact based, needs to see proof of anything you may have to offer / want to sell, wants it all written down.

These different styles will usually exhibit differing verbal and non verbal clues,as to their preferred style.

You can probably think of people that you know and work with that fit each of these styles and that some are easier for you to get on with, than others.

Originally Posted by marky You can probably think of people that you know and work with that fit each of these styles and that some are easier for you to get on with, than others.

Yes I can.

Do you suggest modifying, however so small, your style to better get along with the difficult customer?

Azbroker

Yes. Spot on. If we make small modifications in our style we'll get along with far more people. I think most people do this to some extent anyway, we don't tend to act in exactly the same way with everyone. I act completely differtently with my friends compared to maybe how I act with my parents.
The thing is I know my friends and family pretty well, I've built up a knowledge of them over time and know what irritates them and how they like to be treated.
Customers however I don't know until I meet them, so I have to try and work them out as quickly as I can.
This speeds up the rapport building and gets us on the same wave length quicker.

If the customer is upset try this:
Please allow me to take as much responsibitly for this situation as possible. It was not my intent to upset you, but instead to talk with you about ......

I learned this in my consultive selling class and it has been extremely helpful. It normally clams the person down and they find it hard to be angry to someone being nice to them.

Smatheny:

You are right on mark. Difficult customers more often surface at your first meeting. There may be any number of reasons they are difficult. Maybe, they just don't like salespeople, but have to deal with them, because it's their job. Maybe they don't personally agree with the solution you are offering and have been ordered to talk with you (which is our fault for not getting to the decision maker). In any case, if they are the decision maker, you must directly confront their attitude. I would simply say; "you seem to be very upset, lets address that issue or should I come back".

In most cases the difficult person will make an apology and completely change their attitude. Or ... they will be direct and tell you if their attitude is because of you, your company or your solution. If their difficult attitude continues, there is no option, we must leave.