There’s a lot going on in your prospect’s world.

Photo by DW Labs Incorporated

It pays to withhold judgment.

That Time I Got Mad at a Virginia Lawyer

Three members of the law firm were on time for our presentation, but the managing partner showed up 20 minutes late.

Once we got underway, he kept checking his smartphone, reading and sending texts. Midway through the meeting his phone rang. He answered it, and without even a glance at me he got up and left the room. His assistant signaled me to keep going, so I continued.

A few minutes later the managing partner came back in, sat down, and resumed texting. I did my best to conceal my growing frustration with his rude behavior.

Eventually we got to the part where it was time to ask for a commitment.

That’s when when he dropped the bomb:

“I’m not sure when I can take a look at this,” he said. “My wife is out of town, and she was in a car wreck this morning. She’s in the hospital; we’re hoping she’ll be released tomorrow. As soon as this meeting’s over, I’ve got a six-hour drive to go see her.”

He showed us some pictures of his wife’s car she had emailed to him – the entire front end smashed in, and the air bags deployed.

At that moment, all my irritation went away, replaced by a strong sense of guilt. He hadn’t been disrespecting us – the fact that he showed up for the meeting at all was a powerful sign of how strongly he believed in keeping his commitment to me and the station.

Under the circumstances, his lateness and divided attention were more than understandable.

Here’s the Sales Lesson

We don’t know what we don’t know.

When we sit down with a customer, we may not have any idea what else is going on in their world. They may have just been chewed out by their boss; a family member may be ill or injured.

The advertising plan we’re offering may be the most important thing on our mind… but there might be a much bigger problem on their mind.

How to Deal With a Sales Call Going South

If a client’s not reacting the way you expected them to, here are some steps you can take:

• Double check at the beginning: “It’s been a couple of weeks since we last talked. Has anything changed since then?” This simple question, which I’ve learned (the hard way) to ask before every presentation, can prevent much heartache.
• Slow down. Rather than plunging headlong into whatever you prepared in advance, check in with the client first. “Are you ready to hear my idea?” and “Am I on the right track with this?” give them a chance to express concerns before you get in too deep.
• Use the direct approach — ask what’s going on. “You seem a little preoccupied today. Is something going on?” or “Is this still a good day to do this?” invite them to share a hidden issue.
• Offer to come back another time. This is a tough one for us, since we may have put in hours of preparation in the days leading up to the appointment. But occasionally it’s necessary.

Sometimes your client is just not in the right frame of mind to process your proposal. They’ll be grateful if you conduct a strategic retreat, and your professionalism will pay off later.

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