How do I distinguish between a genuine buyer and a saboteur?

Everything lines up: your solution is a very good match for the client company, you have ticked all the boxes, but the deal is rejected. You are perplexed and confused. “It’s a great solution! It’s what they wanted and needed. Why are they saying no?”

Building on from last week’s ‘How do I deal with client objections?‘ l thought we should look at when objections become personal.

Over the years I have come to realise that many of us have lost sales, not because we didn’t have a good offering or we couldn’t show a real return on investment, rather a key person(s) involved in the sales process or outcome didn’t want the sale to go ahead due to personal reasons or biases.

In the past, I have naively thought that all clients wanted to do the right and best thing for their business, their teams and their people, however I have been proven wrong on a number of occasions. Eventually I came to realise that while all buying decisions will have a personal aspect to them, some were more self-serving than I realised.

What I have learnt over the years is that when people’s status is threatened they can act wildly. Seeing the world from another’s perspective isn’t always easy, especially if the other person is basing their decision on how it will affect them personally, often at the expense of others and the higher goals of the business or project.

When we are selling, thinking about the impact on the person(s) involved is, therefore, very important. This is based on the notion that people are unlikely to be as objective in their decision-making as we would like and have their own agendas, which can be both visible and hidden. The same can be said for sales people too, their personal biases can severely affect the outcome of a sale as well. In fact, rationality often goes out the door. Not everyone likes to reveal their real reasons behind a decision because they may not be that pleasant.

No one really likes to look stupid or incompetent, especially to their people, managers, clients and markets. Pointing out the obvious solution, which looks great to you, may be seen as threatening by some prospects or clients. For example, they could be thinking “Why didn’t I think of that?”, “This might put me out of a job if we do this”, “My preferred supplier, who is a mate of mine, may lose out here and I’ll lose a friend if that happens”, or “This means I’ll have to change how we do things here and my power/position/status/influence will become redundant”.

There are many examples where self-interest or even groupthink can dismiss a great idea or solution from being implemented. In a sales situation, if you come across indecision, stalling or rejection of a well-matched solution, think about how your solution may be affecting the individuals involved. Is your solution at risk of making the other person(s) feel?

• Less credible or appear stupid to their peers, managers or staff.
• Lose power or control over a situation, team or decision.
• Affect their career aspirations.
• Not be seen in the best light with their superiors or their team.
• Lose status or kudos.
• Act differently to how they really want to.
• Have their real intentions, actions or agenda exposed to others.

We all know not everyone acts in the best interest of the group. They may be acting to serve their own interests at the expense of others or the greater good.

It is often necessary to try and understand those often ‘unspoken’ needs of customers. While I don’t always get it right, I have worked out that I need to do at least two key things:

1. Find out where I need to be a King Maker.
2. Find out where I need to be wary of the Saboteur.

Distinguishing between the genuine buyer and the saboteur

As sales people we need to quickly recognise how we and our solution can be a feather in the cap of our buyers. For instance, if our solution or working with us can help or enhance a person’s career, status or reputation, for the all the right reasons, then this needs to be part of the solution and decision-making process. Who doesn’t want to be associated with a successful partner or project? If we support the key decision maker, influencer or end users to feel validated then this can aid the decision-making process.

Asking the client how the proposed solution will help them or benefit them personally will give you a valuable insight into their decision-making process. If a person is making a decision based on, among other things, how this solution will look on their resume and affect their career status, then we need to realise that our role is also part King Maker. If this is important to them and does not transgress ethical boundaries then why not?

I try to remember to ask: “How will this decision help or impact on you personally?” and then take that into account when preparing my proposal, pitch, follow-up or roll out of the solution.

On the other hand you may come across the Saboteur. The Saboteur is the person who operates behind the scenes and has a hidden agenda(s) that may involve your proposal not being successful. If you have a Saboteur as part of your decision-making process, it will mean that they are going out of their way to ensure that your proposal does not get put forward. This usually stems from some sort of self-driven, self-serving agenda.

If you suspect you have a Saboteur in your midst, you must try as early on as possible to determine what their motives are. If you are unable to do this, you must pay special attention to their objections and probe where possible. This will help to provide you with more information around their key drivers.

Bear in mind that Saboteurs are often well known among the key decision makers and influencers in the decision-making process for their underhanded, self-driven ways and often their opinion is given less weight. However, their bite can certainly strike a blow to your progress if the decision is hanging in the balance. Be sure, they will find your weakest spot and run with it.

Some key characteristics of the Saboteur:

• Have a hidden agenda.
• They have a vested interest in you not succeeding.
• Can derail entire sales process and influence key stakeholders negatively.
• Possibly aligned with competition (sleeping with the enemy).
• May appear genuine on the surface but can be the ‘smiling assassin’.

The world of selling is a complex one at the best of times and you may be left thinking that you need a PhD in psychology in order to deal with the variations in human emotions, intentions and behaviours. While a PhD it is not necessary, be aware, wary and alert to the subtleties of client engagement and interactions. Carrying your moral compass along with your very best skills in active listening, questioning, verifying, problem solving, and prevention, and self-reflection along with you for the ride and applying them on a consistently will aid you enormously. And the good news is they take up very little space, yet give you an expansive view.

Remember, everybody lives by selling something.

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Sue Barrett is a Thought Leader on 21st century sales training, sales coaching, sales leadership, sales capability and sales culture. She practices as a coach, advisor, speaker, facilitator, consultant and writer and works across all market segments with her skilful team at BARRETT.  They help people from many different careers become aware of their sales capabilities and enable them to take the steps to becoming effective, and productive when it comes to selling, sales coaching or sales leadership. Sue and her team are your first and best reference when it comes to forging out a successful career as a competent sales professional and leader . If you have an idea, capability, product, service or opportunity that can benefit another and make their life better in some way then Sue says you need to be able to sell – ethically, honourably, and effectively.  To hone your sales skills or learn how to sell go to www.barrett.com.au.