Two Don’ts and One Do that Every Champion Lives By

by Tom Hopkins

Here are two things that no champion ever does, and one thing that all champions constantly do.

1.Don’t argue.
Do you know how many salespeople argue with potential buyers? The prospect voices an objection—meaning that he shows a need for more information—and what does he get? An argument. With anger or sarcasm, or other forms of sales-killing heat and pressure, the salesperson tries to beat the prospect down. Quite often, the salesperson succeeds in winning the argument—and thereby loses all chance of making the sale. Why? Because then the only way the prospect can get even for the way he’s been treated is to buy from someone else.

2.Don’t attack them when you overcome their objections.
Put space between your prospects and their objections. By this I mean that you must be careful to separate your people from every one of their objections as they come up before you can be sure that, when you shoot at the objection, you don’t hit the prospect in a vital spot. Develop sensitivity to how your prospects feel when they voice their objection. You can’t reject their objections as being anything less than intelligent and reasonable without striking at their self-esteem. Show concern for saving their face, not determination to prove them wrong. If you start fighting their feelings, their negative emotions will always take over. You can’t make sales by winning logical battles at the cost of losing emotional battles. Objection tell you where their interests lie; this being the case, objections tell you what must be emphasized, eliminated, or changed before they’ll buy; which is to say objections are feedback you must have if you’re going to close them.

3.Do lead them to answer their own objections.
A champion always tries to maneuver them into answering their own objection because when they say something, it’s true. The average salesperson doesn’t suspect that this can be done and never tries to do it; the champion knows that it usually can be done and develops great skill at doing it. Do you know that most prospects will answer their own objections if you’ll just work at it, give them time, and lead them to it? After all, deep down they want to go ahead—if you’ll just show them how, and guide their faltering footsteps. They wouldn’t keep on talking to you if they didn’t want what you sell.

Adapted from How to Master the Art of Selling
© 1982 by Tom Hopkins International, Inc.