Part of what I do in our company is ride around with sales reps on sales calls. The goal is to get market information that isn’t easily discovered – how the prospects view the solution, what degree of buzz words are incorporated, what stalls and objections occur most frequently, etc. You never learn more about a sales position than when you are in the trenches with the salespeople.
That being said, I came across this article in SalesHQ.com. The format is a theoretical construction of a mistake-ridden sales call. The article is a bit exaggerated, but not by much. The concluding exchange is priceless:
“Well,” Arnie responded, “I understand that your business has used Sure-Fire Pest Control Company for the last few years. As you know, I represent Ultimate Protection Pest Control. This seemed like a good time for me to come and talk with you.”
“Why now especially?”
“Oh, because I’m sure you’ve read the newspaper stories about the lawsuit a local restaurant filed against Sure-Fire Pest Control. Radio and TV covered the story too, so it’s unlikely you missed it. The restaurant lost its sanitation rating because customers complained of rats and roaches running under the tables. I’m sure you don’t want to do business with Sure-Fire any longer.”
I believe it is Emeril Lagasse who likes to say “Bam!” Here is the Bam! from the author:
Not only is mistake number five more common than you’d guess, it is also a colossal blunder. Citing bad news about your competitor will not gain positive ground for you. The opposite happens. Why? It appears that your company has no clear advantages to offer, because you haven’t mentioned them yet. If your only benefit is that someone else is worse, you’re doomed to lose the sale.
Absolutely right. The prospect’s first thought is that you do not have anything better to offer. I call it a vulture move – you are slowly circling a carcass hoping for an easy meal. If your salespeople are incorporating any aspect of this move, you need to put an end to it immediately. I observed a sales call where a salesperson in a highly-competitive market attempted just such a move. I instantly observed the prospect turning on their mental screensaver as they simply waited out the remainder of the time allotted to the call.