4 Ways to Close a Deal When You Don’t Click With the Prospect
Human interactions are complicated. No matter how personable you might be, sooner or later you’ll meet somebody who you just don’t click with. It might be because they have a prickly personality, or because there’s something about them that doesn’t sit right with you. No matter the cause, some people just don’t click, but in sales, this creates a problem because walking away from a potential deal only ends up hurting you.
So how can you effectively work a deal when you’re not clicking with the person on the other end of the phone (or computer screen)? We’ve put together some tips to help you move past the awkward vibes and get to a closed deal. Here are four ways to close a deal even when you and a prospect don’t hit it off:
1. Put aside your personal feelings
While it can be difficult to ignore the gut feelings we have about people, when you’re trying to close a deal you need to put your personal feelings aside and focus on the business at hand. Remember: relationships are a part of the job. It’s your job to put in effort to build that relationship, and if you’re not doing that, then you might not be doing your job to the best of your ability. Instead of thinking about how much you’d like to get off the phone, make it a point to get to know your prospect a little better even if you have to get over yourself and put on a bit of an act to show interest.
2. Stick to the facts
If you’ve struggled to build rapport and it’s clear that the prospect isn’t feeling your approach, put the small talk aside and focus on the facts. Even if you don’t click with a prospect, there’s a good chance that they have a problem that you can help solve. Distill everything down to the numbers: what are the features and benefits of what you’re selling? What is the ROI? What kind of results have your other customers seen? If you keep things strictly professional, then you give yourself a realistic chance of closing the deal.
3. Put yourself in their shoes
This might be one of the more difficult things to do, but if you’re able to put yourself in the prospect’s shoes even when you don’t click, you’ll have a much better chance of turning things around and closing the deal. For one, you never know what someone is going through, so it’s possible that you started off on the wrong foot because the prospect is going through a difficult time. This is why you should lead with empathy; put your ego aside, try your best to be gentle and understanding, and you’re much more likely to get a good response. This will take some effort, but it will be worth it.
4. Focus on the outcome
At the end of the day, you shouldn’t forget your ultimate goal: to bring in as much business as possible. This can be difficult to remember when we’re in the middle of a conversation that’s not going our way, or when our instincts tell us to put our guard up and become defensive. But the truth is that these are the very moments when we need to keep our goals top of mind. An excellent salesperson is able to put their personal feelings aside and win people over, while a poor salesperson lets their emotions get the best of them. At the end of the day, you’re much more likely to walk away from the conversation feeling good if you’re able to win somebody over, especially when the alternative is to walk away with an unhappy prospect without a deal to show for it.
