Being desperate to win a deal and a client is not a good thing. It is shown in your face, in your attitude, in your reactions. Being desperate in general is not a good skill or trait one should show in sales, as the job requires a constant deep thinking of what is best to do, not emotional decisions.
Are you calm when dealing with strict budget deadlines?
And in my opinion, staying calm and being able to think thoroughly and clearly in stressful situations when clients, management and budget push for target realisation, is possibly the most important skill one has to have.
I do understand though why so many people try to win deals at any cost. Firstly, it is difficult, I fully understand it, for a sales person to have the stamina, the persistence but in the same time the calmness to deal with strict budget deadlines.
Is it the commission plan that is driving you?
An area that creates considerable problems, is the sales commission plan in place. Unfortunately, these are sometimes so badly designed, that they drive sales people to wrong behaviours. Sales people tend to think about the short term benefits, not focusing on the long term value for them and the company. They do everything they can to work the commission plan and its quick impact to their pocket, without thinking the damage their behaviour may do.
Here are a few tips that come in mind.
Don’t overpromise to a client. You represent a company, and that company has certain resources. You cannot promise the moon and the stars without checking that the company can deliver.
Don’t go cheap, go fair. Once you start being cheap, the client knows it and this will not be a fair, equal partnership. The expectation the client will have at the end, will be difficult to manage.
Don’t push the client for the sale. So many sales people use techniques like “I don’t want you to lose the discount package we have this month”. This is not working. Try something different. The client especially in bigger deals needs time to go through processes to decide.
Happy selling!
Visit my Amazon store here.