6 Tips on How to Sell to People You Don’t Like
As salespeople, we come across individuals from all different walks of life. This can be a great thing, especially if you enjoy meeting and learning about other people. Many prospects and customers you meet will develop into long-term professional relationships and sometimes even become lifelong friends.
But occasionally you come across people you need to sell to who you just don’t like. This can present a problem, since it’s natural human instinct is to stay far away from people we don’t like. But if salespeople only sell to people they like, they might be leaving a lot of money on the table.
Here are some tips on how to sell to people you don’t like:
1. Try to find something to like
You might not have a good initial impression of someone, but there’s always something that you can find to like. Instead of dwelling on the personality flaws that are driving you crazy, focus on something about the person that you can appreciate.
Maybe they’re a dog lover like you, or have a similar taste in movies. Whatever it is, figure out something you like and then focus on it to make it easier to continue going through the sales process with that person.
2. Don’t take it personally
While sales does have a lot to do with personal relationships, it’s important to learn how not to take business personally. Your transactions with the prospect are simply you conducting a business transaction.
Understand that fact, and train yourself to not take anything that happens within this professional transaction personally. Not only will it make it much easier to sell to someone you don’t like, but you’ll also become much better at handling rejection.
3. Focusing on the outcome makes it easier to sell to people you don’t like
Sometimes we get too bogged down in our own personal feelings instead of focusing on what really matters in sales, outcomes. Sure, you might not like someone, but at the end of the day you’re at work to close deals, make money, and feed your family. Frankly, your personal feelings about someone’s personality have nothing at all to do with those things.
Take a step back, think about the end goal that you’re after, and act accordingly. You can also use an AI-Powered CRM that focuses you on the next best steps to move your deals forward, putting the likability of your prospects aside.
4. Put yourself in their shoes
Sometimes we mistakenly think that someone is unlikeable only because they’re not doing what we want them to do. If a prospect isn’t giving you the answers you want, you might instinctively react by thinking that you don’t like him or her.
But try to take a step back. Maybe there’s a great reason why your pitch or solution isn’t working for them, and it might have nothing to do with their personality. Put yourself in their shoes and you’re much more likely to close the deal.
5. Understand the difference between personality and abuse
You need to be able to understand the difference between someone who may have a rude or abrupt way of communicating, and someone who crosses the line into abuse. The former can be dealt with and ignored, while the latter is unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated.
Some people may be short with you or just have poor social skills, but others are insulting, or even worse. Understand where that line is and you’ll know whether or not to continue going through the sales process.
6. Move on
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but you need to know when it’s time to stop trying to sell to someone and move on. If you’ve tried all of the above and the deal isn’t moving anywhere, you need to cut your losses and move onto a more receptive prospect.
Of course, if you and the prospect’s personalities are clashing and you’re unable to work it out, you can try passing the deal off to another member of your team as a last resort. Otherwise, dust your shoulders off and focus on someone else.
