At many a network event I've been invited to attend sales workshops that will help me:
- Seal the deal
- Ensure there's a call for action
- Turn a no into a yes
- and so on
Having just received a phone call from a call centre operative trying to sell me something today I realise why I'm a little hesitant to attend these workshops. It's because I'd rather accept the above "No" than have potential clients doing this:
Not a pretty sight I appreciate :-) and it doesn't feel great either. As I wrote this blog I could feel myself still getting stressed about it. Is that really how you want potential clients to feel?
I have a growing list of companies, that cold call me and don't accept my first "No", that I will no longer deal with. Not because I don't like their product, not because the price is too high but because their call centre operatives try to persuade me of the error in my thinking. They've been taught every technique in the book. To use emotion and logic, I'd suggest even bullying and badgering, to get us to change our minds and will not give up until we hang up or say yes. There's no empathy just a belief in their own point of view to the exclusion of others being able to hold alternate views.
I remember Steve Wright on the radio once saying he'd got to the age of 45 and still found it interesting that others didn't accept his "I don't like salad thanks". Instead they try to persuade him of the error of his ways and say things like "I've just put a small piece of salad on your plate so you can try some". I get the same when I say I don't like spicy food - "Oh this isn't hot try some." It's never not hot - to my mouth anyway - and yet I fall for it every time trying to please others and yet I know my own mind and body. I suspect I've tried 'not too spicy' food just short of a 1000 times why should I be bullied into thinking the 999th time will be different.
I wrote a blog a few months ago entitled 'are you suppliers afraid to say no' I now wonder whether we're just not listening.
Nature is certainly more straightforward - I'd just rather you accepted my "No" than me have to bite your head off, sting or poision you as plants and animals do when they're violated!
Next time someone says "No" - stop and think about your reaction to their response and consider how it might be more beneficial to accept their "No" this time.
Alison Smith
Inspiring change inside and out
Blog 9/31 in the Ultimate Blog Challenge for July
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