I tend to be in a rush most of the time. Maybe you are as well?
I like to get things done quickly, get them off my plate and then move on to the next task. As with most things in life, there is a good side to that, and conversely, a bad one. If you are also a "Type A" person, then I am sure you can relate to both and you know what I mean. Are you a tortoise or a hare?
Most sales people tend to be like that - the typical "type A", but as mentioned, this has its benefits and detriments. That said, it is no surprise that at Kurlan and Associates, Inc., we often find ourselves teaching sales people the importance of slowing down the sales process. I know most sales people feel that they need to speed things up. While it is true that shortening the sales process is important, it doesn't come from going quicker. Rather, the process will move quicker when you take your time and slow things down in the following ways:
1) Slow down the speed and pace of what you say.
2) Slow down the speed with which you respond to the prospect's questions.
3) Slow down the speed in which you accommodate the prospect's requests.
This might seem counterintuitive to what we feel needs to happen, but in reality, all three will have the effect of giving or returning control of the process to the salesperson. This is where we need to be in order to have the success that we want.
Think about what happens when you do each of these:
- If you speak at a slower pace, you sound more confident and the prospect can focus on what you are saying. They don't feel rushed or pushed by you, and they certainly don't feel as if they are running out of time speaking with you. What you say takes on a level of importance that rushed or hurried speech cannot convey.
- If you slow down your responses, it lets the prospect know that you are thinking about their questions and not merely answering the way you always answer - from rote or generically.
- If you slow down how quickly you accommodate requests, it conveys the idea that you are a busy professional, have other people like them to take care of as well, and that you are not desperate for their business.
Slow down these interactions and watch what happens.
