The Two Times You Can't Sell

by Graham Denton

In the Miller Heiman analysis of customer receptivity, two receptivity modes, Growth and Trouble, tell you that the timing may be right. (See The Two Times You Can Sell.) Two other modes say that the timing is off, and no matter what you do, the chances of closing are slim.

The first of these two negative modes is Even Keel. When a customer is in Even Keel, she feels that things are going fine just as they are. There's no perceived discrepancy between current reality and desired results, and consequently she's wary of making any change that might represent a threat to her smooth sailing. Since a sales proposal is, by definition, an offer to accept a change, what you're likely to hear when you approach an Even Keel customer is some variation of "Go away. Don't rock the boat."

Is there any way to connect with a customer who's in Even Keel? The authors of The New Strategic Selling say there are three things that can "raise the probability of your making a sale" in this situation:

1. You can help the customer to see that, although things look rosy today, there will be Growth or Trouble on the horizon if she doesn't act now. In this "risk avoidance" strategy, you say in effect, "I know that things are going great with you right now. And I have a way for you to keep them that way."
2. You can use leverage from a decision-maker who is in Growth or Trouble. The danger here is alienating the Even Keel individual, and that's something to consider carefully as you manage a multi-decision sale.
3. You can demonstrate a gap between reality and results that the Even Keel customer wasn't aware of. If she's happy with her recent 10 percent increase in productivity, for example, you might point out that her chief competitor is enjoying a 20 percent increase.

All of these strategies, however, entail a risk, because the customer in Even Keel is feeling comfortable, and disrupting people's composure comes with a price tag. That's why the wisest response to Even Keel may be a kind of "watchful waiting." Because no matter how clever you are, when you're dealing with an Even Keel customer, the timing is wrong.

The same thing goes, in spades, with an Overconfident customer. When someone is in Overconfident mode, his receptivity is distorted, usually for one of two reasons. Either (a) he's misperceiving the business reality out of ignorance or wishful thinking; or (b) he has set his goals so low that he is thrilled with mediocre results. In either case, your chances of making a sale are nil. And you shouldn't have very much trouble in getting this message, because Overconfident individuals tend to be arrogant and dismissive.

The best way to deal with these characters is, again, to watch and wait. With an Overconfident person, the timing is really wrong, and trying to sell in this situation is virtually hopeless. The good news is that, given enough time, "Overconfidence always cycles into Trouble." And when the customer has moved into Trouble, the timing is by definition right. Therefore, say the authors of The New Strategic Selling, when you're dealing with an Overconfident customer, "keep the lines of communication open, keep the pressure off, and, when the [person] inevitably cycles into Trouble, be sure that you're in a position to fix the problem."