3 Unspoken Sales Biases & How to Turn Them in Your Favor

At times, customers can harbor hidden biases or throw unexpected curveballs that can derail even the most meticulously mapped out sales engagement.

Today, let's explore 3 such examples that sales executives often share with me, and exactly how to tackle each one of them:

Let's dive in,

#1 The Wall of Skepticism

As you approach a customer, they can be inherently skeptical.

They are looking at you and thinking,

"Here is a salesperson, I'm not sure if they truly care about our objectives, let's keep them at arms length and discount what they are saying"

The tell-tale sign? Superficial engagement.

If your intuition tells you this is happening, it's time to take a pause. Don't keep pushing as that can create more resistance.

Start aligning the conversation to their risks and outcomes. Shift the energy from sitting across and negotiating to sitting by their side and ideating.?

Make it an intuitive & natural next step to work with you.

Here is one of my favorite metaphors,

When you say it, it is sold. When they say, it is gold.

#2 The 'We Know it All' Mindset

At times, a customer may be resistant to your solutions because they think,

"We have been there. We have done that. We know everything. Who are you to tell me what to do?"

Firstly, this is actually a positive sign. It shows that your customer is confident..

The right way to navigate this is, shift the focus from their known to their unknown.

• What is it that they are missing out??
• What are their blind spots??
• What are their opportunities hidden in plain sight?

This elevates your discussion to an exchange of insights and enables your customers to think differently. Thereby, positioning you as a partner.

#3 The Commitment Trap

This is when customers feel compelled to stick with their current provider or solution, even if it no longer serves their best interests.

Because they have invested, they feel the need to continue and hopefully achieve their promised outcomes.

A couple of questions I always ask is,

"What does your CEO expect from you that your current provider is unable to provide?"

"How does this provider help your organization accelerate towards your vision?"

This highlights the gap between their existing solution and desired results, creating the context for you to step in. Remember, your customers' value realization gaps are your opportunities in disguise.

To conclude,

Navigating these customer mindsets requires a combination of empathy, insight, and strategic communication.

So the next time that you meet customers, look out for these telltale signs.

Are they looking at you with skepticism or suspicion? Are they exhibiting this know it all attitude or a level of complacency? Are they showcasing what I call the commitment trap?

Given what I've shared today, you can navigate any of these mindsets with confidence and achieve greater success in your sales efforts.

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