Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round
Gerald seemed to be ready to disagree with Renée about everything he’d read about her company’s policies.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, you may feel it’s the prospect’s fault that you are in verbal combat. Gerald sure seemed ready for battle. But that doesn’t matter. Renée doesn’t help herself telling Gerald, in effect, that he’s to blame: “… you’re jumping ahead to things that won’t be a problem.”
Process Check
There’s a technique worth trying that could reverse the bickering mode — the Process Check. The idea is to move out of unproductive behavior by appealing directly to the prospect to change the way the conversation is going.
Don’t end up either drifting into your own Q2 resignation or becoming Q1 antagonistic yourself. Renée’s Process Check statement could be: “Gerald, we’re going around and around here. Please help me get us on track to discuss how I can get you pet supplies you’ll really like.”
Finding a Solution, Not Blame
Notice there’s no finger-pointing in the above examples. Renée doesn’t blame Gerald by telling him he’s being argumentative or that he’s agitated about nothing. Rather, she summarizes the situation without any judgment. She uses the first person “help me” and appeals to him to get them on track.
It may not always work, but you would be surprised at how making an appeal to someone raises his/her receptivity. It turns the conversation toward solving a problem. And it offers a benefit to the other person for doing so.
If you feel frustrated by Q1 antagonism and you’re in a conversational rut, try the Process Check to get your sales call moving again.
