Years ago when I started in sales I was frustrated with some of the head games that had to be played in order to help my clients.
Being a more logical person I wondered why I couldn't be forth coming and I discovered that there are barriers (sales resistance) that often need to be eroded before you can actually help a customer.
Most people have usually been burned and so they have built in protections that prevent them from being open to the positive possibilities that a new or different product, service, system or approach can potentially offer them.
Therefore part of the selling process almost always (unless they called or approached you) requires that you gently build momentum towards open mindedness and a willingness to converse and participate in a conversation.
Having done this for over 20 years, I kid you not when I say it this way, "It's like they know they need a solution, they know there has got to be a better way, they are tolerating a situation that annoys them and until you can get the prospect to actually admit that they want an improvement (which they secretly don't want to tell you) you are stuck in deadlock."
When the cost of the problem outweighs the price of the improvement then it is much easier for people to make a change. I am all about the conversation that leads up to this and if after having gained an understanding of the client's situation I discover I cannot help them then I will be the first to admit it rather than try to sell ice cubes to Eskimos.
Marshall W. Northcott
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