Are you a Sales Hero or a Sales Henchman?

Don’t let one judo chop from your prospect stop you

            Ever watch one of those superhero movies and notice how the henchmen fight?  They give it a good try, but one swift Judo chop and they crumple to the ground.  Meanwhile, our hero in the movie is judo chopped, kicked, shot, falls off buildings, survives car crashes and is oftentimes blown up.  Does it stop him?  Heck no!  He’s so calm and collected that he survives it all and still able to attend a cocktail party that evening.

As a sales manager and sales coach, I see the same thing happen with salespeople.  They have great intentions as they head out on sales calls, armed with the best tools and training on their products.  However, the first objection (our customer’s version of a Judo chop) and our salesperson plays the part of a henchman by crumpling to the ground.

“I gave it my best shot, but that prospect….

…. is a price buyer”

…. has a sweetheart deal from their current supplier”

…. buys from ABC and we can’t compete with their pricing”

…. said he was happy with what he is doing and not interested”

How do we react when we run across this farmer?  We stop calling on them or we don’t go see them for a long time.  Slayed by that one judo chop.

Tough financial times for farmers will create tough times for salespeople.  This means more salespeople will be out there calling on farmers and failing like henchmen in a super hero movie.  Justifiably, selling today is not as easy as it was and certainly, no one can blame a salesperson for not wanting to stick it out in a tough selling environment.

My opinion of that is – Good.  The more the farmer slays your competitors with their “price resistance” judo chop, the more opportunity there is for you to develop relationships.

Here are two thoughts you need to keep in mind before you go down without a fight.

First, your prospects are looking for a sales hero.  Yes, the prospects in your territory, despite their price objections and their cantankerous attitudes, are actually rooting for you to succeed and be a hero.  Why?  Because sales heroes help them.  They buy from them. Sales heroes stick around and have more experience to pull from and help the customer.  They have figured out how their company works, how the customer’s farm or agribusiness works, and how to match the two up.  Henchmen add zero value to a farmer, despite their best efforts to turn every salesperson that turns down their driveway into one.

Why do producers do this?  Because they are busy and they are called on by an army of seed, feed, fertilizer, crop insurance, and equipment salespeople.  Just to name a few.

The second reason you need to persist after a producer tries to get you off the farm, your company is also looking for a sales hero.  I know it can seem like the office or the manufacturing facility is not as helpful in selling as much as you would like.  However, they need you to be a hero and win the sale.  Remember, nothing happens until something is sold.  Mixers don’t mix, pellet mills don’t pellet, baggers don’t bag, forklifts don’t lift and trucks don’t truck until you persist and make a sale.

One of the keys to figuring out how to move from henchman to hero is knowing how to differentiate.  If it’s a cold call, you have about 30 seconds to sound different and get the next three minutes of a farmer’s attention.  In that next three minutes, you need to again differentiate from all the other salespeople in order to have 30 minutes or get an appointment to come back.

To reinforce the need to differentiate, I have added a section to my sales workshops titled “The 4 Why’s”.  If interested in learning how that can help you or your team, please reach out.

Persistence on farm calls is tougher than it has been in a long time.  Producers are not in a good mood.  However, this is exactly why they need you more now than ever before.

So, don’t be discouraged by their negativity.  They are actually routing for you to survive their judo chops and be a hero!

For more information on Ag sales training, coaching or business development, contact Greg Martinelli at Ag Sales Professionals, LLC at (608) 751-6971. Email is Greg@GregMartinelli.net  Web site is www.GregMartinelli.net