In 1984 Gillette launched a series of television commercials for their Dry Idea antiperspirant. The tag line for these ads was "Never let them see you sweat."
This is wise advice for sales people.
Many sales people enter a sales conversation "needing" that particular sale. And any time this happens it dramatically reduces your leverage.
Although you may not physically sweat during a sales call, meeting or presentation, the more you need a particular sale, the less likely you will achieve your objective.
When you are needy, your dialogue will be less direct, more submissive, and less likely to compel someone to want to do business with you.
People want to buy from sales people who are confident, and when you desperately need a sale, you run the risk of lacking conviction in your behavior. It is highly likely that your prospect will sense your neediness through your actions, tone of voice and language.
I once watched a sales person "chase" a husband and wife around an electronics store and fail miserably at developing any type of rapport, determining their needs, or moving the conversation forward. His behavior made it evident that he was desperate for a deal.
Plus, when you're in this type of situation, you are more susceptible to price pressure and other objections.
The key is to maintain your confidence during each and every sale. This is certainly easier said than done, especially if you happen to be in the middle of a slump. However, there are a few things you can do to help.
Here are four ideas...
1. Keep your pipeline filled.
The more qualified sales opportunities you have, the less impact losing one will have on your results.
2. Talk to yourself.
Before every sales call, meeting or appointment, tell yourself that your prospect needs you more than you need them.
3. Forget about the outcome.
Focus on the process, on asking great questions, at presenting your solution in the best possible manner and listening carefully to their concerns.
4. Prepare.
Invest time anticipating questions and potential objections. Then prepare appropriate responses.
What about you? How do you prevent people from seeing you "sweat"?