By Jonathan Klein
Don’t you wonder what your prospects are thinking? Of course you do, we all do. Knowing what your prospect is thinking or what attitude they are displaying is critical to your success, but how?
Use the Principle of SOLD, an acronym that enables you to classify your client or prospect’s attitude allowing you to better handle their specific behaviors. Sold stands for the following:
- S = Skeptical
- O = Objection
- L = Lethargy/Indifference/Ambivalence
- D = Done/Deal/Accept
The principle works like this; every buyer, in fact, every person being introduced to a new concept will and must go through the above 4 attitudes before they buy.
Consider your own purchasing behavior, in fact, think about the last time you watched an infomercial, weren’t you skeptical? Of course you were and what did the presenter do, they showed you evidence that their claim was true!
Then they responded to your objections, like in the Sham Wow commercial explaining you need their product because it saves you money by not having to purchase paper towels.
For those viewers who are lethargic or ambivalent to the infomercial's claims, they then target your pain points: Time, Identity, Money or Elevate/Leverage.
Finally, we get to the last word Done, which is when they accept your claims and are willing to purchase your product or service. Be careful with this behavior, because if a client or prospect accepts your offer too soon they likely have not really bought into your claims and the sale will likely fall out.
Next time you have a client meeting, prepare for these 4 attitudes in advance. Make sure that you know what your client will be skeptical about and have evidence, to the contrary.
Consider what they may object to and prepare questions to head these off, but always be sure to clarify that there are no others.
You can attempt to avoid lethargy or ambivalence by focusing exclusively on the client’s pain, but you will often run afoul by targeting a pain that other clients within that industry have experienced and then assume that has same priority for them. Don’t assume!
Finally, you’ve come to done. Your client has accepted your proposal and is ready to move on. Ink the deal, but before you do ask if there is anything that might cause your client to change their mind. This establishes their firm commitment to you and or will bring up any unsaid conditions.
In my next article, I will discuss the Principle of Integrity. Until then consider joining my weekly coaching calls by registering with this link. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/633060643
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Jonathan Klein is a Sales expert with 25 years experience in B2B and consumer driven sales along with management and training of sales forces. In his first book "The Path To Just Being Nice" Jonathan demonstrates that nice is not just a strategy, but rather has actual processes that if you practice you can increase your "Nice Quotient" and the quality of your life. Jonathan likes to say that "Nice is one of the only renewable resources that when practiced can go on in others for ever." Reach Jonathan Klein at jk@cddppi.com or (561) 212-9226
