To Sell as a Peer, You Have to Go There

There are dozens of situations in sales (and many other human interactions) where the conversation you need to have is uncomfortable, difficult, and risky. It’s easy to allow your fear to prevent you from engaging in the conversations necessary to move things forward and instead, avoid the topic altogether.

Your fear will tell you not to “go there.” But not “going there” is to fear the wrong danger. The safest course of action is to “go there.”

Leading With Your Higher Price

You don’t want to talk about your price during an early sales interaction because you know it is higher than your competitor’s price. Because you won’t “go there” your dream client thinks you are hiding something, namely that you aren’t worth that much more.

Change or Suffer the Consequences

You don’t want to talk about how your prospect’s current state is untenable, how it’s hurting them, and how much they are putting their future at risk. You believe that you are better served by talking about what you sell. Without “going there,” you never create a compelling case for change and your prospect doesn’t take action.

Asking for Access

It makes you uncomfortable to bring up the subject that the contact you are working with is going to need to bring other people from her company—including some who will oppose any change initiative—in order to move forward together. But if you won’t “go there” you will avoid making your contact uncomfortable and you will also avoid winning a deal.

Resolve Their Concerns

Your dream client has concerns. They’re not sure that you are going to deliver the results you promise. They’re also not sure if they’re making a good decision. They’ve hinted that they’re worried that they aren’t going to fare well should your initiative fail. You know these concerns exist, but you don’t want to “go there” for fear of making things worse. Your avoidance only makes it more unlikely that your prospect can give you a “yes.”

You sell as a peer, not as someone who is fearful, subservient, and unsure of themselves. A peer doesn’t fear “going there, they embrace the difficult issues and the sticky situations. That’s what makes them a peer.

“Going there” breeds trust and confidence.