We often talk about why clients/prospects lie to salespeople. Here is a great article from Bill Cates about some of this reasons it happens.
Why do so many clients and prospects have so much trouble telling the truth when dealing with salespeople? One of the most common reasons is that they have been lied to in the past by a salesperson. Let's face it, the sales profession has a bad reputation and is considered by some to be among the least-respected occupations. Given this, it's little wonder that clients might be tempted to be selective with the truth! They'll lie to avoid an annoying sales pitch. They'll lie to protect themselves against the persistent phone calls and e-mail follow-ups and to avoid being pressured into making a decision. They'll lie to protect their reputations, their budgets, their time, and their jobs. They'll lie because they can- because they assume all salespeople are liars and they want to make a preemptive strike.
Think about how salespeople are portrayed in popular culture. Movies such as Tin Men, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Tommy Boy, and Glengarry Glen Ross don't paint a flattering portrait of this profession. That's a pretty swift current that our profession has to row against. But it's not an impossible challenge. Gaining the trust of your clients and potential clients just takes a little extra effort and forethought, as well as a complete dedication to honesty in how you conduct your business.
The fact is that dishonesty breeds dishonesty and honesty breeds honesty. This is good news, because it means the ball is in your court. As a salesperson, you truly can help turn the tide with your potential clients and begin to breed more honesty.
Suppose you can sense that your client is withholding information. You can just feel it. Perhaps he's telling you that there's no allocated budget for a purchase. But you know there's almost always some budget. In such a case, you might say, ''Thanks for letting me know. I'm not trying to burn your whole budget. What I want to do is give you the best possible solution within the investment that makes sense. Are you saying there is no budget for any purchase, at any price or just no budget for purchase of the $100,000 project we proposed?'' A direct and honest question expressed without frustration can often provoke prospects to reveal their budgetary constraints.
Honesty must be a two-way street. If it's not, sales and client service will suffer. If a potential client doesn't clearly tell you what they're looking for, it's hard to satisfy the demand. Haven't you ever thought, I wish they would have told me what they were really looking for, or I wish they had just told me their real budget so I didn't waste all this time? Most of us have. You can't sell if you don't have all the information. This is why two-way, honest, open communication is so necessary
As salespeople looking to increase sales we need to communicate with honesty and openness, and we need to help others communicate with us in that way. Not only is honest communication the key to long-term sales success, it's crucial in today's work world.