Hey There,
Have you ever heard the term, “Pregnant Pause?" The word itself stems from the 15th century, being defined as “full of meaning.” So as a pregnant body is full of meaning with a little human, a pregnant pause is full of meaning with silence. I believe it ties in very nicely with the ancient negotiation tactic of “He Who Speaks First Loses.” Which is one of my favorite games. As you all know, if I could fill my body with sales tattoos, I would. And HWSFL would take up some major skin space. It’s a really important part of sales.
I’ve witnessed many a salesperson falter on this one in a moment of low confidence. This happens in a variety of different selling situations, but mostly, when it comes to talking price. For some reason, we get nervous to talk about the price with people. This doesn’t just happen in sales. This happens with family when we tell them the price of an item we bought, and our bosses when we ask for a raise. In sales though, it tends to go a little something like this.
Salesperson: “For all these services, the total is $30,000.*said in a whisper* And that includes tax. And I gave you a discount. And it’s a really good deal for all that you are getting. And our clients are really happy.” *more word vomit*
Client: “Wow, ok. I’ll have to think about it.” *stunned by the amount of low confidence this otherwise confident person is showing and all of a sudden has major concerns about partnering with this person*
This is how it should go.
Salesperson: “For all these services, the total is $30,000!” *Smile. Eye Contact. Relax. Keep Quiet.*
Client: “Great! When can we get started?”
The end.
Know your value. Know the value of your product. If someone has paid for your services in the past, other people will also pay for your services. If they have a challenge with the price, you won’t know unless you give them the space to tell you so. Don’t project your relationship with money onto them. LET THEM SPEAK! You got this.
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Lisa Proeber | Owner, The Middle Six