SalesPeople Should Expect to be Treated with Respect!

by | May 7, 2007 | Sales Innovation | 0 comments

Sales Coaching at the Interaction Level – Getting Respect from Prospects

I just met and had a conversation with Andy Gole, President of Bombadill LLC.  He brought up a topic that was very interesting and timely.

Salespeople Deserve to be Treated with Respect.  He doesn’t steer people away from customers or prospects who are rude.  He teaches people how to get their contacts to be more “serious” and to pay attention to the value they represent.  This was a unique approach to sales coaching where he dives into the process and approach for sales prospecting at such a level like this.  More importantly, he told me his process is proven, if followed, to increase sales results in months, not quarters or years and that his process can increase the conversion rate of opportunities to close to 100%.  While I haven’t done due diligence, it appears worth exploring.

What is Rude?

In all of the calls being made by our cusotmers and my own sales team make, there appears to be a higher rate of rudeness.  People are less polite, focused on their own personal needs, and not caring for people outside their own business.  We dont have statistics on this topic, but the observed trend for is for people to blow-off meetings, be late, not pay attention (those ADD people we know), or just not listen.

We have all experienced rude people.  Examples are everywhere:

  • Prospects being 10-15 minutes late for a scheduled phone call
  • People putting you on Hold for 5-10 minutes
  • Customers who simply skip the meeting they had with you and you hear back 2 or 3 days later
  • Flying down for a meeting and finding out that morning that the person you were going to meet is not there and the meeting will be via phone

Do we have to put up with this?  What are your thoughts?

You are Who You Work with and Who You Work For…

This has been a business philosophy for me for quite some time.  I believe that who you work with and for reflect on you and how you are perceived from others.  If your culture is one of fast moving, direct to the point, blunt, and smart, then you are likely to work with customers who share this culture.  If you are like this in culture, you could see how that would clash with a down-home, midwestern, take your time customer, right?

What Andy promises is that you can turn around those contacts who are late, stubborn, rude, not open to your thoughts, etc.   His point is you have to point out their lack of seriousness, attention, and focus and get them to understand your value and ideas as a serious solution.

I would like to this is possible and that people can be reminded to act differently, be open to your ideas, and engage you at the level that you need them.  Regardless of their culture.  I would love to see this in action.

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