Weaknesses in the Prospect’s Anatomy

In the martial arts, there is the study of pressure points, the idea being that a little pressure, applied in the proper location, will render an opponent helpless.  There is no defense for these pressure points except by avoiding strikes or punches to these areas.  For the attacker, the idea is to focus on these pressure points.  For the person being attacked, the idea is to defend the points under attack.  Selling is no different.  Every prospect has weaknesses for which they have no defense.  The idea then, is to focus on the areas where the prospect has no defense.  Here are seven areas where the prospect has no defense.  Appeal to these areas and you will not have to fight, argue or deal with objections.  Imagine that, no fighting, no arguing, and no objections.  These weaknesses are present in every prospect, whether encountered on the showroom, the lot, or on the internet.  Especially on the internet, since many prospects think their use of the internet shields them from salespeople, and the tactics they have come to resent when shopping for a vehicle.

Weaknesses  in  the  Prospect’s  Anatomy

Weakness  #  1:    Salespeople  who  listen.

Every prospect is under-listened to.  Most people pay no attention to them.   If you are willing to be quiet, be patient and just listen to the prospect, they will tell you everything you need to know to help them buy.  The old meet and greet tactic of,  “Hi, my name is…,  what is your name,”  is not listening.  It is asking for information which will be used later in case the prospect doesn’t buy today, and the prospect is aware of that, since the last four salespeople used that opening line on them.  They do not like it.  “Hi, my name is…, what is your name,”  is to the prospect,  the first sign that the salesperson is not going to listen to them.  Reality is that most prospects love to talk, and most salespeople hate to listen.  Figure it out, get it right, overcome your desire to hear yourself talk, and you will find that prospects like you much more, and buy much more.  You don’t need a college degree to listen.  You don’t need 30 years of being in the car business to listen.  You don’t need a set of sales tapes to listen.  All you have to do is control your urge to talk.  Just be quiet.   The prospect has no defense against a salesperson who listens, and lets them talk.  So let them talk, they will tell you everything you need to know.

                     Weakness # 2:   Salespeople who tell the truth

Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.” 

Truth telling by a salesperson is viewed by most prospects as a very rare commodity.  That feeling has usually been earned, most times the hard way.  Prospects do not like being lied to, and they do not have to put up with it.  If you want to deal with every defense a prospect has in their arsenal, just lie to them.  They will fight you with everything they have.  And they will never trust you, they will never buy from you, and they will tell all their friends about you.   But, they have no defense, no reason to argue, no reason to fight if all you do is listen to them, and tell the truth when it is your turn to talk.

                    Weakness # 3:   Salespeople who are sincere

You cannot fake sincerity.  The prospect is just not that stupid.  If you can remember that the prospect has a qualifying system for salespeople, this is one  place where you simply you cannot afford to fail.  The prospect can tell if a salesperson is sincerely interested in the wants, needs and budget of the prospect.  They can also tell if the salesperson just needs to get a sale, will say anything, do anything and sell anything.  The prospect is used to insincere salespeople.  We all are.  We just automatically know when we are dealing with someone who could not care less about our wants and needs.  If you are sincere, the prospect has no defense.  They immediately know if you are sincerely on their side?  How,  because you listened to them, and told them the truth.  Ignoring them, interrupting them and lying to them is a billboard size sign that you are simply not sincere.

                       Weakness #4:  Salespeople who understand

Failure on the part of the salesperson to truly understand the wants, needs and budget of the prospect is a killing blow to the sale.   The deepest need of every person, and therefore, every prospect, is the need to be understood.  All you have to remember is that the prospect is usually on your lot, or is a lead on your internet because every place they tried to buy a vehicle refused to understand them.  Most salespeople make the mistake of trying to sell what they think the prospect needs, instead of listening, telling the truth, and sincerely understanding the wants, needs and budget of the prospect.  If you understand the prospect, they have no need to defend themselves against you.  If they say they can afford a payment of $400. a month, and you say, “Up to….”  they know you do not understand.  Sooner or later, they will walk, not because you cannot sell, but because you did not understand them.

                   Weakness # 5:  Salespeople who are nice

There is simply no excuse for a salesperson to be a jerk, to become emotional, to be mean, or to dis-respect a prospect.  Prospects sometimes come in with a chip on their shoulder.  There is a reason for that, and it us usually because they have been mistreated at another dealership.  Be nice!!  The bigger the chip on their shoulder, the nicer you must be to them.  A chip on the shoulder of the prospect is a good thing.  It tells you that they are still looking for someone to listen, to tell the truth, to be sincere, to understand, and to be nice to them.  The nicer you are to them, no matter how they act, the easier it will be to hold gross.  A prospect has no defense against a salesperson who is nice to them, especially if the prospect comes in with a not very nice mood.  Be nice.  You don’t need a master’s degree to be nice.  You just have to be nice.

         Weakness# 6:   Salespeople who let them make their own decisions

The old school method of close, close, close and keep closing has lost more sales than any of us can imagine.  Close, close, close simply brings out all of the defenses the prospect brings with them.  If you push the prospect to make a decision in your favor,  they know it, and they will fight you.  Life is too short to fight with every prospect who comes in, or who shows up as a lead on the internet.  If you listen, tell the truth, sincerely understand wants, needs and budget, and if you are nice, you place yourself in the position to allow the prospect to make their own decision.  Closes are a high pressure gimmick for a salesperson who does not listen, does not tell the truth, who is not sincere, not nice, and who then must push the prospect to a decision.  What prospect in their right mind would buy from a person who has to push that hard?  

                         Weakness# 7:   Salespeople who like them  

The prospect knows whether or not the salesperson truly likes them.  The prospect knows if the salesperson believes the old line, “All buyers are liars.”  Every prospect has an born in radar system, we all have it, and we all instinctively know when we are dealing with someone who does not like us.  We just don’t like to deal with someone who does not like us.  The big discount chains, where customer service is almost non-existent, have spawned thousands of clerks who view the customer as an interruption.  Prospects who enter your dealership, or show up as internet leads do not like dealing with a salesperson who does not like them.  They all want to be liked, and to deal with someone who likes them. 

Like your prospects.  If you don’t, they will know it.  If you like them, if you let them make their own decisions, if you are nice to them, if you understand them, if you are sincere with them, if you tell them the truth, and if you begin by listening to them,  YOU  WILL  NOT  HAVE  TO  FIGHT  WITH  THEM.    Life is too short to fight with prospects.

Sales technique, closing tactics, product knowledge,  these things are of much less importance than focusing on the inherent weakness of every prospect.  Focus on being the kind of person you would like to deal with, and see how simple it is to then meet the wants, needs and budget of  these normal people we call prospects.

John Brentlinger

Author of The Little Blue Book of Selling