Great Expectations!

So, you are preparing to see a prospective client. You have all your documentation with you, your quotes and legal forms. You have prepared extensively, made sure that your computer is fully charged. You put ons your best suit, make sure that your shoes shine, you brushed your hair and hopefully your teeth. You check your watch to make sure that you are on time, you listened to the radio for any traffic problems. You might even have phoned ahead to confirm your appointment.

The big question is, how have you prepared emotionally? You might find this a strange question, but it is so true. Successful salesmen automatically are in the emotional zone. You might even call them positively aligned. There might be a few factors that are at play, for instance the fact that they are not under pressure to have to close the deal due to financial pressure, or it might be because of their experience that give them the edge when they enter the negotiation. We might not be able to fully measure the extent of it, but the fact that it plays a role can not be ignored.

As you might remember from the Four Pillars of motivation, emotionality is one of the concepts you have to take into account. Numerous studies have shown that customers buy more easily when the person selling to them is positive in their attitude when they conduct sales. If your expectation is that you most probably not going to make the sale, then 2 things will happen. Firstly, the customer will immediately pick it up in your body-language and will not find the process positive. Secondly, this expectation of non-success will inhibit you from pushing to get the sale done. It can also be further explained that we as people are outcome-based. If your expectation of the meeting is that you will not make the sale, on some weird level, walking out without the sale spells out success for you. It has really nothing to do with some spirituality and "law of attraction" but more with shooting yourself in the foot with this expectation. Being unsuccessful in this regard therefore has nothing to do with the economy or the client you are seeing.

It has to be said that even the most successful around us, do not walk around with the notion that the client might not say no. But on the scale between expecting the worst or expecting the best, the one's on the scale towards the positive will have a better chance. You can also not expect somebody to believe in you, if you don't. So, don't loose the sale before you have even given yourself a chance, and to be emotionally prepared will give you a better shot.

You need to understand that when meeting a prospective client, it is a stressful meeting. We tend to focus not only on this fact, but also the fact that the client is also stressed. When you walk in with a stressful expectation, you might find that the stress factor of the meeting increases. When you walk in, emotionally ready and positive, it creates an atmosphere where the outcome can only be better. Furthermore, when you are in a positive frame of mind, you feel in control of the situation. In my own experience, when I am under pressure or stressed to make the sale, I give away the power to the customer. What I have felt is, even if I have to push out a smile, the circumstances change in the room. Smile, be polite and create a "safe" emotional space for you and the client. If you do this, you will see your sales increase, so, just do this one time, and you will do it over and over again.