Aaron Jacobs

Controlling The Sale

The New Way To Win Customers,
Deals & Profits On Your Terms
AARON JACOBS

CONTROLLING
THE SALE
THE NEW WAY TO WIN
CUSTOMERS, DEALS &
PROFITS ON YOUR TERMS

2
Controlling The Sale: The New Way To Win Customers, Deals & Profits On Your Terms
1st edition
© 2021 Aaron Jacobs & bookboon.com
ISBN 978-87-403-3828-7

Illustrations by Dave Lentz

Peer Reviewed by:

Tim Miller; President

Business Development Associates BDA

Janelle Weaver; Sales Coach

Scorecard Sales

Denny Cathcart; President

Synergistic Industry Relationships SIR

Abby Jacobs, Wife

The Jacobs Family

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Contents

CONTENTS
About the Author 6

Author’s Note 7

1 Selling as a power exchange 8

1.1 Why do so many salespeople struggle with controlling the sale? 9
1.2 The expectation of control 9
1.3 5 Tips for Building Confidence 10
1.4 Pushy vs Persistent 11
1.5 Are you an order taker or an order maker? 12
1.6 Chapter Summary 13

2 What does it mean to control a sale? 14

2.1 The customer code of ethics 14
2.2 Why control works 16
2.3 The 3 components of control 17
2.4 Chapter Summary 18

3 Your defensive sales strategy is hurting your sales 19

3.1 Planting the seeds of doubt 19
3.2 Stop defending your price 20
3.3 Never lower your price until you ask twice 21
3.4 Chapter Summary 21

4 Sales objections create control 23

4.1 Putting sales objections into perspective 23
4.2 The 3 Truths About Sales Objections 23
4.3 The Purchasing Equation 24
4.4 Controlling The Objection 25
4.5 Exercise Your Sales Muscles 26
4.6 Chapter Summary 27

5 The process for controlling a sales conversation 28

5.1 A process for control 28
5.2 A process always has a goal 29
5.3 Map out your process 29
5.4 Questions create control 30
5.5 The listening/speaking ratio 31
5.6 Customer Substance Investigation (CSI) 32
5.7 Chapter Summary 33

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Contents

6 Beware of Sales Squirrels 34

6.1 Don’t chase the squirrel 34
6.2 The H.E.L.P. Method 35
6.3 Mastering your pause 36
6.4 Chapter Summary 37

7 Close the deal or walk away 38

7.1 Chapter Summary 39

8 Will You Jump? 40

8.1 The boy who wouldn’t swim 40
8.2 Control Your Sales Wings 40
8.3 Chapter Summary 41

Conclusion 42

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CONTROLLING THE SALE About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Jacobs is a professional sales trainer, coach, and consultant in the United States. His
20 plus years of experience is relatable to both new and veteran salespeople alike. He is the
founder of Scorecard Sales and creator of the mobile app Scorecard used by salespeople to
improve sales and sales efficiencies. Aaron has an equal passion for both selling and teaching.
He has enjoyed a long career of training, coaching, managing and mentoring salespeople
from all types of industries and backgrounds. Selling is a great way to bring goodness into
the world when done correctly. Whether it is B2B or B2C selling, when professionalism
and strong sales techniques are applied, great results are achieved. This is the philosophy
that Aaron teaches to his clients. Results and respect.

Aaron’s background is rooted not only in a lifelong career in sales, but music and horticulture
as well. When it comes to sales, horticulture taught him patience whereas music gave
him the ability to connect with people on a personal level. “Sales is my craft and I love
everything about it. I’ve held various positions in numerous companies from CEO, COO
and of course Sales Manager. No matter what I do, everything comes back to sales. I enjoy
selling very much, but my favorite thing is coaching others to their success. It’s not just
about preaching to salespeople about what works. It’s about coaching salespeople so that
they become as passionate about sales as I am so that results begin to come naturally.” You’ll
also notice Max and Arty. They are your cartoon pals to keep you smiling while you read.
It was either them or stock photos. Enjoy.

You can read more about Aaron and his blogs at https://www.scorecardsales.com/blog

Connect with Aaron on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-jacobs-63929263/

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Author’s Note

AUTHOR’S NOTE
What is the latest and greatest in selling today? Everyone wants the quick fix for sales. How
to make the best elevator pitch or how to create the best strategy for closing the deal. In
this case, you are going to learn about controlling the sale. Selling is hard work and high
performers continually tweak and adjust their craft over time. This book was not written
as a quick fix for your immediate sales problem. This is about learning one of the most
valuable (and often ignored) techniques in selling that will benefit both you, your company
and your customers. These are not tricks or schemes. These are effective methods that we
should constantly practice in order to improve and ultimately master this new skill.

Controlling The Sale will not teach you how to be a pushy salesperson either. In fact, that
is the opposite of what you will learn from this book. It is about becoming a customer’s
purchasing guide in a well-crafted process that leads to results. No silver bullets; just deliberate,
methodical and professional salesmanship. These are techniques that any salesperson with
any amount of experience can apply immediately and begin to see results. In fact, the newer
you are to sales the better. New salespeople are more willing to learn good habits. For you
sales veterans: you can recall a moment where you tried a new technique and it worked. This
will be one of those moments if you are ready to challenge yourself. The process is simple:

Control yourself
Control your process
Control your customer
Control the sale
Control the results

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

1 SELLING AS A POWER
EXCHANGE
We have all had the experience of feeling power when we are holding a large sum of cash
or a large check. Whether we are giving or receiving it, we can feel power transfer from
one party to another and all the emotions that come with it. We consider what the money
represents in terms of how it was earned and how it is being spent. Each dollar is a measure
of risk that is being taken whether you are buying a pack of bubble gum, a new phone, or
a home. There is a lot going on in what is otherwise a simple transaction. Are you going
to get your money’s worth? Where there is a sale there is power, and where there is power
there must be control.

The word ‘control’ can have a very negative connotation. This is even more true when it
comes to sales. In fact, I bet there is a chance that you even winced a little when you saw
the title of this book before you decided to read it. When I teach my basic sales training
courses and we get to the section about controlling the sale, I can see that I start to lose
the students for a short while before I get the chance to connect the dots for them. We
instinctively know that controlling a sale is important and I can help you connect the dots
on not only how to do it, but why it is important and how it creates an overall better
customer experience.

I have a confession to make; I was not always good at sales. I remember the early days of
my sales journey back to the very first job I ever had: telemarketing. This was in the early
90s and not much in that business has changed. Pick up the phone, read the script, sell
the product. So simple and yet I failed in less than 3 weeks. This type of selling was not a
good fit for me for a number of reasons, but the biggest struggle I had was sticking to the
script instead of speaking from my heart. I know now that the script was important to my
manager because it allowed her to control the sales process and create predictable results.
I found, in that experience, that not only was I not controlling the sale, but I also wasn’t
even controlling myself. It is no surprise that my results were measured in nothing more
than phone clicks and dial tones instead of sales. Despite this, I witnessed people in this
same environment performing well and achieving success by doing what seemed to be the
same thing I was doing. What was I doing wrong? I wasn’t following a process.

When I say ‘control the sale’, you might conjure images of a pushy salesperson. Someone
who will persuade you into buying something you neither need nor want or deceiving
you into spending more money than you should. Or perhaps you are expecting high level
mind control techniques that put your prospects into a trance as you dip into their wallet.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

I am sorry to say that there is no magic show here today. Even though controlling a sale
is a high-level skill, almost anyone can do it and you and your customers will be glad you
did. Ultimately, we are talking about creating a great selling process from start to finish
and it will be something you can feel good about. So, before you make up your mind if
controlling a sale is right for you, consider that you are about to close more deals by serving
your clients in the best way possible without ever letting go of the sales process.

1.1 WHY DO SO MANY SALESPEOPLE STRUGGLE

WITH CONTROLLING THE SALE?
Sales is such an interesting department in businesses because it is so vital to the health of
every single business, and yet we invest so little into this critical component. Training is
lousy if it even exists at all. Very few managers know how to manage and coach salespeople
well. To make matters worse, most salespeople are even embarrassed to admit that they
are salespeople. They will go so far as to change their job titles to ‘account rep’, ‘business
development’ or ‘client advisor’ to avoid any stigma associated with being a salesperson. As
if customers couldn’t tell the difference. So it’s no wonder why most salespeople struggle
to control the sale. Common reasons include:

1. Lack of proper sales training

2. Lack of an effective sales process
3. Lack of sales experience
4. Lack of preparation
5. Lack of self-confidence
6. Lack of self-control

At least one of these reasons is constantly getting in your way. Customers, as a result, are
taking control of the sale and taking your profits along with your dignity and becoming
increasingly hard to deal with. It’s not that you can’t control the sale, it is that no one has
shown you how. More importantly, no one told you that it is okay to control the sale. That
should all end now.

1.2 THE EXPECTATION OF CONTROL

Believe it or not, not everyone wants to be in control. Some people will admit that they
don’t know what they don’t know and need someone to assist them with a critical decision
or purchase. There are, of course, people who need complete and total control in everything
they do. We desire control because it either gives us a sense of being safe or indicates a fear

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

caused by a lack of trust in anything we do not fully understand. We believe that whoever
is in control gets the better deal because they had more power in the sale. But power and
control really are an illusion that either party can create. It doesn’t actually exist unless you
allow it to exist. Since control is a common occurrence in sales, that means you must either
create it or accept it.

What is expected of someone who is believed to be in control? We tend to assume that

they have more of something than we do. Power, resources, information, motivation, etc.
What they really have more often than not is a process that they stick with at all times.
A process is one of the best things a salesperson can possess; especially when you are at a
disadvantage of resources, price, and even experience. The overall expectation of control is
that you have a winning process that benefits everyone when executed properly. A process
does not create control entirely by itself, it needs to be administered with confidence.

1.3 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Very little in sales can be accomplished without confidence. Confidence is one of the most
critical barriers to success for many salespeople. There is little chance of control without
confidence. Almost all salespeople struggle with self-confidence. Even the superstars have
the occasional moments of self-doubt. A career in sales is a career of constantly taking
risks which is why learning confidence is so important. Easier said than done, right? Some
people are born with confidence, while others have to develop this trait. If confidence is
a struggle for you there is a simple substitute you can use and it is called faith. These two
traits are so similar that many people have a hard time distinguishing the two. And that’s
a beautiful thing because faith is much easier to teach than confidence.

Faith is a simple matter of making a decision about your beliefs and adhering to that in all
that you do. There may or may not be evidence to support your faith, but you accept it as
truth all the same. Confidence, on the other hand, is usually reinforced on some kind of
experience or past performance. If you don’t yet have what it takes to display confidence,
you surely have what it takes to have faith because you’ve been doing this your entire life
in some fashion or another. Why not apply this technique to your sales? Here are 5 tips
that use faith as a pathway to confidence.

1. Faith in your product - If you don’t believe in what you are selling, then
neither will your customers. Every salesperson who starts with a new company
has to go through the process of mentally selling the company’s products and
services to themselves first. If you do not have faith in what you sell, then you
are not fit to sell it. What you sell doesn’t have to be perfect. If you can be
honest about all aspects of what you sell and how it ultimately benefits your
customer, you are now one step closer to being confident.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

2. Faith in your process - Sales teams are breeding grounds for critics and cynics.
It is just easier to take a position on why something won’t work instead of why
it will because it involves less risk. You often create your own defeat before you
even begin. No wonder things aren’t getting better for you. It is time to silence
your inner critic and embrace faith in the methods in which you can sell. Pick
up the phone, follow your script and try that new sales technique you just
learned. Faith is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

3. Faith in yourself - This is going to be the hardest one for you to learn because
you have a lifetime of reinforcing your self-image. Faith in yourself is the little
engine that could. It is the daily affirmations that flood your social media.
It is silencing the voice that says you don’t deserve good things. You need to
make a decision that you can and will achieve your goals. Create the belief that
things are going to be different and do everything you can to reinforce this
awakening. People with faith achieve results.

4. Faith leading to confidence - Confidence means acting out your self-assurance

based on what you believe to be the evidence of success reinforced by what
you accept as truth. Faith is forming an understanding of a belief with little
to no proof. All faiths are leaps while confidence stands on solid ground. That
faith leap is the process of getting over the gap that is keeping you from the
confidence you desire. The more you believe something the more it becomes
the truth to you and the truth will eventually become the confidence you have
been seeking.

5. Faith is the key to success - Confidence is a skill and faith is a structure.

That’s why faith is easier to learn and why it is also a great substitute for
confidence. Every person steers their lives around their beliefs. You have no
choice but to follow that process, but you do have a choice in what you
believe. So why not have faith in your success? Not every successful person has
confidence, but no one would be successful if it weren’t for their faith. The key
to success is faith in knowing you’re right.

1.4 PUSHY VS PERSISTENT

The methods outlined in this book are not designed to make you a pushy salesperson. No
one likes a pushy salesperson. Pushy salespeople don’t even like other pushy salespeople. In
fact, pushy salespeople are the reason other people don’t like salespeople in general. Despite
these truths, many salespeople push until the sale will bend, break, and bust. They set a
bad example for other sales professionals. This leaves the rest of you with the only other

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

option you can think of; timid and passive aggressive sales tactics. Whether you are pushy
or passive, the result is still the same; fewer deals. There is a middle ground between pushy
and passive, and it is called persistence.

Persistence is a concept that most salespeople struggle with because they cannot distinguish
it from being pushy. There is a good reason for this since there is a very fine line between
the two. In fact, they are like fraternal twins. They were both born on the same day, but
they don’t necessarily look identical. We can agree that they are closely related which can
make things confusing, but once you learn the difference between them, you can adjust
your approach to get better results while maintaining the respect of your prospects and
clients. The easiest way to sum it up is that pushy salespeople push the sale while persistent
salespeople lead the sale. Leading the sales means being in control of yourself, your process,
and your client.

1.5 ARE YOU AN ORDER TAKER OR AN ORDER MAKER?

Many salespeople approach a sale with the old school thinking that the customer is always
right. Ergo, the customer will always be in control. Well, the customer is not always right;
especially when it comes at a cost of your profit. It is noble to have a do-whatever-it-takes
attitude to win over customers, but there really isn’t much salesmanship involved. You are
simply an order taker and your sales skills differ very little from someone running the cash
register at a fast food restaurant. Take the order, collect the money, and it’s onto the next sale.

Order makers are a different breed of salespeople. They can create opportunities that
customers may not have been aware of before. They are able to listen to sales objections
constructively and leverage them as opportunities. They can get customers to spend more
money because they create the belief that doing so will create great benefits and make them
feel good. They are more in tune with their customers’ needs than the customers are in
tune with themselves. Here is a table to demonstrate the differences between order takers
and order makers.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Selling as a power exchange

Order Takers Order Makers

Do not control their own price Deemphasize prices

Do not control their own terms Sell on their own terms

Do not develop their customers Create great customer experiences

Does little to communicate the value Seeks to understand customers and sell the value

Do very little upselling Looks for new opportunities to sell their customers

Operate almost entirely transactional Make their own destiny instead of waiting for leads
exchanges

Do very little actual selling Understands that what they sell and the way in
which they sell improves the lives of other people

Do not handle customer objections Actively looks for and manages customer objections

Has a misleading job title Is proud to be called a salesperson

*Figure 1.1 The difference between order takers and order makers

1.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Learning how to control the sales is essential and easy to learn technique that many people
struggle with. Although there are several reasons for this, including lack of self-confidence
and lack of proper training, your customers will expect you to have a process for this.

5 tips for building confidence to help control the sale include:

• Faith in your product

• Faith in your process
• Faith in yourself
• Faith leading to confidence

Salespeople must strive to be persistent and not pushy. In doing so, they must also learn
to become order makers and not order takers. Good order makers:

• Deemphasize prices
• Sell on their own terms
• Create great customer experiences

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CONTROLLING THE SALE What does it mean to control a sale?

2 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO

CONTROL A SALE?
Controlling a sale means having a clear picture of a mutually beneficial outcome for both
the buyer and seller and knowing the path to get there. Your job as the salesperson is to
lead everyone down that path as efficiently as possible while allowing the buyer to achieve
their own rational conclusions along the way. When this is done properly, the buyer should
feel like they are the one who is in control the entire time because they are in a well-crafted
process. The outline for this process can be as simple as this:

Step 1. Identify and attract the right customer

Step 2. Give them the opportunity to present their wants and needs
Step 3. Allow the customer to review the products and services that best satisfy
their desires
Step 4. Discuss and rationalize any concerns and objections
Step 5. Close the deal and complete the transaction

There are, however, several barriers standing in your way that make this process more
complex and can take things out of your control. The first, and most obvious barrier, is the
customer. Every so often we are blessed to sell to people who are kind, understanding and
easy to work with. More often than not, each customer brings a set of unique challenges
that become disruptive to our sales process.

2.1 THE CUSTOMER CODE OF ETHICS

Everyone expects a business to have a code of ethics that they and their staff follow. It is
supposed to be customer-centric to help set a level of expectations to demonstrate that they
have the customers’ best interests in mind. This may be found displayed proudly in office
lobbies, websites and brochures. The customer now understands that you truly care about
them and, in return for your well-intended mantra, here is what you can expect from the
customer.

• They do not care about your profit.

• They do not care about your personal income, expenses, worries or desires.
• They do not care about your success or personal problems.
• They do not care about what you think is a good deal.
• They do not care about what you think is fair.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE What does it mean to control a sale?

• They do not care about your other customers.

• They do not care if you think you are a nice person.
• They do not care about how badly you need this sale.
• They do not care about what is motivating you in the first place.

These are some harsh truths to accept. The bottom line is that customers care about their
interests and their interests alone. So, here is the code of ethics that customers will follow
in every transaction.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE What does it mean to control a sale?

The Customer Code of Ethics

They will demand a deal that is best for them They expect options that are easy to choose
every time from

They want everything about working with you They insist that their demands are reasonable
to be easy as far as they are concerned

They expect to get their money back if they are They believe that they deserve to be right about
not satisfied; even if it is their fault everything

It is your privilege to have them as your customer They must be treated as the most important
customer

It’s their money, so they’ll be calling the shots You should always be willing to do whatever it
takes for the sake of the sale

*Figure 2.1 The customer code of ethics

If these demands aren’t satisfied, then customers can play their final card. “I will take my
business elsewhere if you don’t give me everything I want. Also, I will leave you a bad review
just to teach you a lesson about dealing with me, which you never will again anyway.”
These are hard truths and we witness this all the time. This means that the customer is
doing whatever they can to control the sale so that the outcome is most favorable to them.

2.2 WHY CONTROL WORKS

Controlling the sale works because it gives the illusion of control to the buyer all while being
contained in a carefully crafted process that leads customers instead of agitating them. If we
can predict a customer based on their code of ethics, then we have a significant advantage
in the sale. Customers always want to feel like they have freedom of choice. This confidence
gives them the sense of power so that they feel like they ultimately made the best choice
making it easier for them to spend their dollars.

When the salesperson is controlling the process, it actually makes customers feel safe and
chances are that they don’t even realize that the salesperson is in control. Consider how Disney
World approaches their customers. From the moment that you see the first commercial, to
making your purchase and finally arriving at your destination, you have been controlled.
Disney knows how to motivate you to buy, make you an offer with a price that you will
find fair (without negotiation) and get you to start making plans for your trip. They even
know with a high degree of probability of how you will spend your time once you get there.
How? Because they have a process and the irony is that you believed the entire time that

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CONTROLLING THE SALE What does it mean to control a sale?

you were the one making all of the decisions. The truth is that you were following their
process. And the process was good because you felt safe and in control the entire time.
Controlling the sale not only works, but it is also beneficial.

2.3 THE 3 COMPONENTS OF CONTROL

There are 3 critical components in a sale that must be controlled at all times in order to
achieve success.

• Yourself
• Your process
• Your customer

Controlling yourself - This is going to be the most difficult piece for you to work on.
You are currently wired with a number of beliefs, attitudes, and experiences that constantly
shape what you have accepted as reality. We have been conditioned to respond and react
in certain ways that we feel will create the safest and most favorable outcomes. We give
into impulses that lead us into patterns that usually achieve predictable, but not necessarily
desirable, results. There is nothing else we can control until we learn to control ourselves
first. The first step is self-awareness.

Controlling the process - This is usually the easiest piece to work on. Your process is the steps
that you take your customer through to create a successful and enjoyable buying experience.
This creates a level of expectations and a series of commitments for your buyer while you
deliver on meaningful promises along the way. Make sure you have value added steps built
into your process that are unique to what you sell and unique to your customers’ needs.

Controlling the customer - This is where the magic happens. This means understanding
the desires and motivations of the customer and using this knowledge to lead them in a
manner that gives them a sense of control while maintaining the items that are important
to you: deals, profits, deadlines, and dignity to name a few.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE What does it mean to control a sale?

2.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Every salesperson needs to craft their own sales process. Keep in mind the customers’ code
of ethics as they do not have the same interests or agenda that you do. Controlling the
sale works because it gives the illusion of control to the buyer that leads them to the sale
instead of agitating them in the process. Control should make both the customer and the
salesperson feel safe about the transaction.

The 3 components of control are:

• Yourself
• Your process
• Your customer

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Your defensive sales strategy is hurting your sales

3 YOUR DEFENSIVE SALES

STRATEGY IS HURTING
YOUR SALES
Salespeople are notorious for taking the path of least resistance in a sale. This will often
put them into a defensive position. That’s why many salespeople like to cut to the chase
and get to the lowest price they can offer the customer because they assume that is what’s
most important to them. They believe that the sooner they discuss price the sooner they
can close the deal. The problem is that once a salesperson makes the deal about price, you
have few options for controlling the sale and you have to play defense. Why? Because you
have set the price above the value in the eyes of the customer. Customers will only make
their purchasing decision solely on price when they believe that there is no other or greater
value. Unless your sales strategy has been established to be that of the lowest price, you
need to stop doing this. If you find that you are defending your price too often, chances
are that you have leaks in your profits because you are forced to give up too much to the
customer. Remember, customers do not care about your profits.

3.1 PLANTING THE SEEDS OF DOUBT

Salespeople too often plant the seeds of doubt within their customers by their own actions
and lack of control. Make no mistake, when there is money on the line, someone will seek
to control the process. We plant the seeds of doubt without even realizing it simply because
we do not have control over our own selves. How can we expect to control the sale if we
can’t control our own processes and emotions? The most common ways that we plant the
seeds of doubt and hand over control of the sale to customer include:

• Demonstrating a lack of confidence - ‘I probably won’t be able to close this deal’

• Not executing a formal or deliberate sales process - ‘I’ll just make it up as I go
along’
• Focusing on our fears - ‘I hope the customer didn’t see our bad online review’
• Acting on desperation - ‘I’ll do anything to make this sale’
• Becoming attached to false ideas - ‘The customer is only concerned with price’

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 YOUR DEFENSIVE SALES STRATEGY
CONTROLLING THE SALE IS HURTING YOUR SALES

3.2 STOP DEFENDING YOUR PRICE

Nothing sends a salesperson into a tailspin quite the way a price objection does. It is difficult
to watch how salespeople respond to this objection in the same way that it would be painful
to watch a friend get punched in the gut. And those gut punches just keep on coming until
you are on your knees both in pain and out of breath. That is what it feels like when you
give up any of your profits in a price discussion. Occasionally, you try to shield your belly
by defending your price, but the customer just keeps punching away until you drop your
guard and you are back on your knees giving up the profits. You’ve sharpened your pencil
adjusting the price so many times that it is barely a nub. You’re more of a re-estimator than
a salesperson at this point.

Defending your price has never been, and never will be, an effective selling strategy. The
main reason for this is because you give control over to the customer every time. Customers
continue to do this because they know they can get away with it and you have likely been
letting them do this for years. It’s time to start playing offense instead of defense with these
5 helpful tips.

1. Acknowledge - You can’t just blow off a price objection as being unimportant.
The customer brought it up for a reason. Maybe they don’t have the budget for
it or maybe they are trying to beat you down on price. Either way, let them
know it is normal to consider the price. “Mr. Customer, I don’t blame you for
questioning the price. I do the same thing when I consider making a purchase.”
2. Challenge - All sales objections are based on at least one assumption from
the customer. In this case, it is that they can get a cheaper price from you
or someone else. That may or may not be true, but you do not have to, and
should not, accept their assumption as truth. Instead of defending your price,
challenge their assumption. “Mr. Customer, what are you basing your price
concern on? Are you considering apples to apple options from a competitor or
similar option?”
3. Structure - Price is not the only criterion for any purchase. There are issues of
quality, performance, convenience, etc. to be considered. You must challenge
the customer as to what is most important to them to get the sale back on
track. “Mr. Customer, is price the only aspect you are considering in this purchase?
If we satisfy everything else you wanted, wouldn’t you expect to pay more?”
4. Redirect - It’s time for you to get the sales back on track so you can close the
deal. You must challenge their purchasing strategy so that you can help them
get past their assumptions about what a fair price is. “Mr. Customer, have you
ever gone with the cheapest price before and regretted the purchase later?”

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 YOUR DEFENSIVE SALES STRATEGY
CONTROLLING THE SALE IS HURTING YOUR SALES

5. Ask Again - Conviction goes a long way in sales. When you decrease your
price, your customers take it as your admission that you were being greedy.
Although you have to be flexible in sales, you must also know when to stand
your ground. Asking for the sale again puts you back in control. When you
ask for the same price twice, it reinforces to your customers that you were
being fair the first time and that you don’t play greedy games with them. “Mr.
Customer, our policy is to always give our best price the first time. If I have satisfied
all of your other concerns, I recommend that we move forward with the proposal
as is. You will find that you will be very happy with the purchase and the value is
reflected in the price.”

3.3 NEVER LOWER YOUR PRICE UNTIL YOU ASK TWICE

You want the sale and the customer will make you work for it. So if a customer wants a
discount, shouldn’t they work for it as well? Most salespeople dislike price objections and
buckle under the pressure every time. If you are not willing to ask for your same price
twice, then you are giving up control of the sale at the most vital time. Customers love
to play games with the price, and you will lose every time you play it if you play by their
rules. If you find that you have no other choice but to lower your price and it is still a fair
deal, do not do so until you have asked for the same price twice. You will find that this
demonstrates confidence and customers will respect you for it. Many times you will find
that the customer isn’t willing to push back a second time; especially if he or she has no
grounds to ask for a lower price. The customer isn’t holding all of the cards that you think
they are holding. So when you get to the discussion about price and you want to stay in
control, remember that you never lower your price until you ask twice.

3.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Salespeople can be their own worst enemy during the sale. When this happens, price often
becomes the focal point of the sales conversation. Customers will only shop you on price
if their believe that there is no greater value.

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 YOUR DEFENSIVE SALES STRATEGY
CONTROLLING THE SALE IS HURTING YOUR SALES

The common ways we create doubt with our customers include:

• Demonstrating lack of confidence

• Not executing a formal or deliberate sales process
• Focusing on our fears
• Acting on desperation
• Becoming attached to false ideas

You can stop defending your price using these 5 techniques:

• Acknowledge
• Challenge
• Structure
• Redirect
• Ask again

Remember, never lower your price until you have asked for it twice.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Sales objections create control

4 SALES OBJECTIONS
CREATE CONTROL
If salespeople habitually take the path of least resistance, then it only makes sense that
they more often than not dislike any form of sales objections. Each sales objection you
encounter is a critical point where control is exchanged between the salesperson and the
customer. Unfortunately, if we dislike objections, then we do little to prepare for them
and we usually give up control of the sale when the objections occur. If customers can use
their sales objections to take control of the sale then we should be able to do the same if
we rethink our sales process and beliefs.

4.1 PUTTING SALES OBJECTIONS INTO PERSPECTIVE

The biggest mistake a salesperson can make is assuming that a sales objection is a total
rejection. This is almost never true. A sales objection is simply a perceived barrier for closing
the sale that you and the customer have to work through together. If and when you are
successful in doing this, you begin to create and reinforce the customer’s notion that they
should indeed do business with you. For example, when a customer says, “I’m not sure this
is right for me. Let me think it over and I’ll get back to you at some point”, it feels like we’re
getting brushed off and the deal is dead. But is it really? So you shrug your shoulders and
say, “I understand. I’ll wait to hear from you.” The deal fades away. But what if we said,
“Of course. Decisions like this aren’t easy to make. I sense that you are hung up on something
specific that we discussed. Would you mind sharing that with me now so you can process this
easier when you think about it, or perhaps we can work it out now?” You have to put the
objection into perspective.

4.2 THE 3 TRUTHS ABOUT SALES OBJECTIONS

One of the biggest mistakes you can do is avoid sales objections. You know one or more
objections exist for your customer, but you are doing everything you can to dodge it. There
are 3 basic truths about customers when it comes to sales objections.

1. One or more objections will occur at any given phase of the sale process.
2. Objections never magically disappear on their own.
3. Objections will always fester until they are acknowledged and addressed.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Sales objections create control

Take a moment and reflect on some of your own purchasing experiences. Have you ever
made a major purchase without at least having one concern about your purchase? If the
concern was important to you, did you just let it fade away without discussing it? Do you
fixate on your objection, possibly tuning out the salesperson, because no one is taking time
to address what is important to you? Of course you do, but just because an objection cannot
be satisfied doesn’t mean the sale is dead, it is now just part of the purchasing equation of
what is most important to a buyer.

4.3 THE PURCHASING EQUATION

Every buyer has a unique equation for how they will make a purchase. This can be based
on one of many criteria:

• Price
• Value
• Features
• Customer Experience
• Warranty

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Sales objections create control

• Delivery
• Quality
• Urgency
• Trust
• Longevity

If we intend to control the sale, we have to learn which criteria is most important to the
buyer, decide if we can adequately satisfy it, and adjust our presentation accordingly. The
best way we can do this is to get objections as early and as quickly as possible. This is
different from asking what the customer wants, this is about looking for verbal and visual
cues that tell you that there is an objection lurking. It’s time to run towards that objection
instead of running from it.

4.4 CONTROLLING THE OBJECTION

Don’t make the mistake in believing that handling objections means being confrontational
and abrasive. It is a simple conversation. A sales objection is a critical intersection for control.
So how can we use this moment to our advantage when we are so used to being crippled
by it? There is a specific formula that can be used for any general sales objection that puts
control back into the hands of the salesperson. It’s all about having the right conversation
with the right person in the right way.
This is a technique that can ease tensions while addressing important issues for everyone.

1. Acknowledge - Call attention to the objection immediately and professionally

the moment that a customer has either expressed the objection, or the
salesperson perceives an objection. If you are not sure if an objection is
surfacing, ask the customer, “I sense that there is something that is concerning you
about this purchase. Do you mind sharing that with me now?”
2. Empathize - Let the customer know that it is okay to have an objection. That’s
a part of everyone’s buying process and she should not feel guilty or shy about
bringing it up. “I understand your concern and, quite frankly, I have those same
types of concerns when I make purchases as well. So, I expected that this should be
something for us to talk about.”
3. Normalize - Your customer needs to know that you’ve been there and done
that when it comes to their specific objection. This gives them confidence that
you are the right person to manage what is important to them. “Many of my
other customers had expressed this same concern and we were able to work through
this together. Let’s discuss this a little more.”

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Sales objections create control

4. Challenge - A sales objection is the customer’s reality, but that doesn’t always
make it the truth. There are times when we must challenge the customer’s
assumption because it is inaccurate, incorrect or unsubstantiated. “Mrs.
Customer, if I understand you correctly, you are concerned that this may not be a
good fit for you. Do you mind me asking what you base that on? Have you fully
researched other options? Are you certain that your assumption is correct?”
5. Ask Again - Unless your customer has an important objection that cannot
be satisfied, you have to take another shot and ask for the sale again. We’ll
discuss in Chapter 7 when to walk away from the sales conversation, but in
the meantime, ask again with confidence. “Now that we have discussed all of
your important issues, can you think of any reason why we can’t move forward
with this deal?”

4.5 EXERCISE YOUR SALES MUSCLES

Every salesperson has, or should have, something I like to call sales muscles. Our sales
muscles are our knowledge, gifts, talents, training, techniques, and so forth. The more
muscles we have and the stronger they are, the better salesperson we become. How can we
exercise these sales muscles? This can happen from reading, working with a sales coach, or
just trying something new. There is one way that is more effective than any other method
for exercising your sales muscles; roleplaying.

It is never a good idea to practice our selling techniques on a customer, but let’s face it, that’s
what most of us do. And yet we are afraid to practice with someone we know and trust.
Roleplaying techniques such as sales objection management, sales control or even cold calling
greatly increases your odds of improving your results. Like going to the gym for the first time,
this can seem awkward at first, but after a couple of tries it quickly gets more comfortable
and you become more effective. Remember, the key isn’t just roleplaying for the sake of
roleplaying, but apply these new techniques until they overtake certain older bad habits.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Sales objections create control

4.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Sales objections should be welcomed by salespeople to create control of the sale. Objections
are not rejections, but it shows that the buyer is engaged. There are 3 truths about sales
objections:

• One or more objections will occur at any given phase of the sales process
• Objections never magically disappear on their own
• Objections will always fester until they are acknowledged and addressed

Sales people must take the time to learn which purchasing criteria is most important to
the customer. Once we figure this out, we can begin to learn about the potential sales
objections the customer may have so we can begin to control the sale. These 5 steps will
help you manage sales objections:

• Acknowledge
• Empathize
• Normalize
• Challenge
• Ask again.

Make sure you are exercising your sales muscles. Instead of practicing new techniques with
customers, try roleplaying with a co-worker, manager, friend or sales coach.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE A SALES CONVERSATION

5 THE PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING

A SALES CONVERSATION
Every salesperson has a process whether they know it or not. The problem is that most of
us leave the process to chance instead of being deliberate as a means to guide our customers
to a desired outcome. For some, a process is as simple as showing the product or service,
display the price, take the acceptance or rejection, and move on to the next opportunity.
For simple transactions, this may be sufficient. For larger and more complex sales, if you
are not controlling the sale then you are creating several leaks in your sales process. Simply
stated, you are losing otherwise winnable opportunities.

5.1 A PROCESS FOR CONTROL

A sales process is a method of conversion over a series of steps. Like any process, it is a matter
of inputs over outputs. Examples can include turning cold sales calls into warm leads and
meetings. It can be converting a prospect into a customer. It may also be growing existing
customers into new products and services. Everyone should and will have their own unique
process, but here are the attributes that every sales process should have.

1. Value adding - Make certain that every step of your sales process has value for
the customer. Value can be considered educational, experiential, demonstrations,
and presentations. It must answer two questions for the customer. Why should
I care enough to take that step and what is my reward for doing it? Oftentimes
the most difficult step to get a customer to engage in is filling out forms.
Customers usually don’t like paperwork, but it is still necessary. Consider
creative ways to reward them for taking this step.
2. Logical - Make sure your sequence of steps makes sense to the customer. If you
find that you are explaining steps in your sales process too often for customers,
then you have a defect in that process. If a customer is reluctant to sit through
a presentation, perhaps you are asking the customer to take that step too soon.
3. Methodical - You must have a process that commands discipline. The process
should feel natural to you so that you aren’t making things up as you go along.
When salespeople start improvising their process the sales go out of control.
Salespeople don’t like to admit that they have this problem, but they do it
often. Stick with your established methods.
4. Flexible - This sounds contrary to being methodical, but salespeople can’t be
so rigid that they ignore opportunities. There will be times when you have to
pivot in your process to make sure that you are meeting the customers at their

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needs. For example, a customer may be ready to buy now and does not have
a need or interest in a presentation. If it makes sense, you may need to be
flexible and skip this step.
5. Predictable - A good process is leading and qualifying customers along the way
to a desired outcome. You should know what to expect to hear from customers
as they progress along your process. Your calculated responses keeps them
moving forward to the final goal of the sale. You should know when customers
are going to have product questions, when they will want to know about price
and when to get them to make a commitment.

5.2 A PROCESS ALWAYS HAS A GOAL

They say to always start with the end in mind. Controlling a sale means having several steps
for the customer to take in order to close the sale. Both eager and impatient customers
may want to shortcut the process, but this can lead to either hollow deals or dead end
deals. Don’t get me wrong, if a customer is ready to buy now and has a check in hand, by
all means work at a pace that is comfortable for them. This is not too often the case for
most salespeople.

So what is the goal of your sales process? To make a sale, right? Maybe. This is the overall
function of sales as suggested by the word itself, but this can also be misleading because
no salesperson closes every deal. For more complex deals, the final sale could be months
away and there are a series of steps in the process that must be taken. The main goal in
a sales process is to get the customer to make a decision. Either yes, we can continue to
move forward towards the deal or no, there is not a mutually beneficial reason for us to
do business together. If we chase the goal as the sale, we oftentimes ignore customers’ cues
and waste time on unachievable deals.

5.3 MAP OUT YOUR PROCESS

Your sales process is the steps that customers take toward the sale. It sounds simple and it
is simple, but it gets overlooked by so many of us. An example of a simple, and common
sales process can look something like this:

Step 1: Engage the customer

Step 2: Ask the customer a series of prewritten discovery questions
Step 3: Identify and address any early possible objections

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Step 4: Share your presentation/ demonstration/ pitch

Step 5: Address any new objections
Step 6: Get the customer to take the next step

The next step may mean to make the sale at that moment, but more often than not we are
still early in the sales conversation for the big ask. This is especially true for complex or large
ticket sales. There needs to be a series of value adding next steps for the customer to commit
to that eventually leads to the sale. When mapping out your sales process, you need to add
these potential next steps to keep your customer moving through a series of commitments
that demonstrates their interest while building the case that you have what they need and
want. This is essential when it comes to controlling the sale. Let your customer know that
these steps in your sales process are expected and routine for new customers. Making it
optional is congenial, but it also takes the control of your sale away from you. The key is to
always keep the process moving forward with well crafted steps so that your sales pipeline
doesn’t get congested with deals that can’t or won’t move ahead. These steps can include:

• Scheduling your next meeting

• Inviting the customer to a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Inviting the customer to visit your office, factory, showroom, project site
• Asking to do an onsite review of their project
• Conduct a demonstration or presentation
• Request additional information or data
• Deliver customer testimonials
• Send a proposal or samples for review

5.4 QUESTIONS CREATE CONTROL

Think of any scene from your favorite crime TV show where there is an interrogation. The
suspect tries to ask a question of his own and he is quickly interrupted by the officer saying,
“I’ll be the one asking the questions here!”. In other words, I’m in control, not you. Young
children understand this better than anybody when it comes to something they want and
they trap you in the ‘But why?’ loop. As long as they keep asking the question, they are
still in control and, as far as they are concerned, there is still a chance that they will get
what they want. But salespeople don’t have to behave so childishly, nor should they be as
abrupt as an interrogation officer.

When a salesperson asks questions, they need to be sincere, deliberate, and engaging. In
fact, asking questions is a process in and of itself to help us control the conversation and
lead the customer down the path of self-actualization that what you’re offering is the right

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fit for them. This process is known to many as discovery questions, and it is vital if we are
going to discover our customer needs and create a safe environment for them to buy in.
Discovery questions discover deals because it not only allows us to learn, but it keeps the
sale under our control. Craft questions that help to establish a need that you can uniquely
satisfy as your way of teeing up your shot. These types of questions can include.

• “What kinds of changes have you been experiencing lately that made you want
to talk with me?”
• “What, if any, other ways have you tried to address your issue(s)?”
• “What concerns you most about making this purchase?”
• “What is the most important decision criteria you have for making this
purchase?”
• “In a perfect world, what would this purchase ultimately do for you?”
• “What concerns you the most about either making the wrong purchase or not
making the purchase at this time?”
• “Is there anyone else that will make this decision with you and what does that
decision process look like?”
• “If you made this purchase previously, what was that experience like and how
satisfied were you with that purchase?”
• “What are your alternatives for making this purchase?”
• “What interests you most about making this purchase with me?”

5.5 THE LISTENING/SPEAKING RATIO

We have all been told that people do business with those who they know, like and trust. If
this is so, how do you get a customer to trust you? Getting them to know you is easy: “Hi,
my name is Aaron Jacobs with Scorecard Sales. It is nice to meet you”. Done. How do you
get someone to like you? Being friendly and smiling a lot is a great place to start. Trust is
a tricky one on the surface because you can’t simply tell someone that, “Yes, you can trust
me.” It is too superficial and arouses suspicion. The easiest way to get someone to trust
you is to listen to what they say. If they trust you, they will subconsciously allow you to
control the sale because they begin to feel a little safer along each step of your sales process.

Customers will buy when they feel like they have been heard. The fact is that most customers
actually want you to control the sale if they feel that you are competent, fair and have
something they want. You can begin to establish this just by listening. Listening is something
that many salespeople struggle with and, in many cases, are not even aware that they even
struggle at all. If you are not certain as to whether or not you are a good listener, consider
these two simple rules for listening and speaking:

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1. Always use one third of the conversation for speaking and the other two
thirds for listening. The customer should always be the one doing the most
talking. This will help them to feed you crucial information while giving them
the sense of control. Whoever is the one giving up information is never the one
in control.
2. Never speak for more than 2 minutes at one time. 2 minutes is longer than
you think when it comes to conversation, and we often overstep our bounds
when it comes to sales. The more you are speaking, the more information you
are giving and therefore the more control you are losing.

These two rules are not in play when you are in presentation mode. That is your time to
shine, but until then, listen more and speak less.

5.6 CUSTOMER SUBSTANCE INVESTIGATION (CSI)

When you hear the letters ‘CSI’ you probably think of crime scene investigation. For us it
stands for Customer Substance Investigation and it is similar in many ways to the normal
CSI. There are times when a customer gets so excited when they are talking that they
unconsciously reveal more information than they intended to. They have your undivided
attention on whatever they are talking about and it feels good. This attention makes them
want to keep going. The customer is giving you a lot of substance and information. This
is your time to investigate for new and important opportunities. This could be venting
their frustrations about a separate experience, bragging about something they are proud of
or demonstrating their expertise on a subject matter. Whatever the case, let them indulge
this happy moment and you will find that not only are they going to give you valuable
information that you may not even have known to ask, but the level of trust greatly increases.
Now you’re getting the good stuff and in total control, even though the customer is feeling
the power because they are standing in the spotlight getting all the attention.

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When you sense there is a bigger story looming or additional information is waiting to be
revealed, there are a couple of simple questions that you can use to trigger the CSI:

• “Wow! How did you accomplish that?”

• “Really? That is very interesting. I’d like to hear more about that.”
• “Was that easy or difficult and how so?”

People can’t help themselves and it is easy to practice on almost anyone and watch how well
it works. Especially with young children. Do your best not to interrupt them while they
are enjoying their moment and reward them with active listening. Use this opportunity to
listen for critical clues that can aid in demonstrating the value of what you are selling while
you control the sale and build trust.

5.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Every salesperson must have a process. If you do not control your process, you will have
several leaks that will cost you opportunities and sales. A good sales process should have:

• Value adding steps

• Logical sequence
• Methodical discipline
• Flexible approach
• Predictable results

Be sure to map out your sales process and always assign a goal for each step. Be sure to
ask questions to your customer along the way to help establish your control over the sales
process. Good questions can include:

• “What concerns do you have about making this purchase?”

• “In a perfect world, what would this purchase do for you?”
• “What are your alternatives for making this purchase?”

Be careful to make sure that you are not doing more of the speaking than your customer is.
Never speak for more than 2 minutes at a time and always use one third of the conversation
for speaking and the other two thirds for listening.

A Customer Substance Investigation (CSI) is a method to help glean more information from
the customer than they were originally intending to share. This will help to build trust and
discover more of what is motivating them to buy.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Beware of Sales Squirrels

6 BEWARE OF SALES SQUIRRELS

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to work with a customer and they throw you
a curveball that takes you off of your sales process and makes you lose control. We call these
moments Sales Squirrels. A Sales Squirrel is something the customer says, does or asks that
completely makes you lose focus on the sale. It is misleading and diverts everyone’s attention
from the objective of the sales conversation. In other words, think of a dog that is going
about its business until it sees a squirrel. The dog stops everything to chase that squirrel.
Before you know it, the squirrel is long gone, but the dog continues to try to jump up the
tree after the squirrel and completely gives up on what it was previously doing. The dog
is out of control. Like the dog, salespeople will chase these Sales Squirrels and completely
lose control of the sale.

6.1 DON’T CHASE THE SQUIRREL

Whether the customer knows it or not, the goal of the sales squirrel is to disrupt the sales
process so that the customer can take control of the sale. That’s not to say that whatever
they have to say isn’t important, and in some cases, it really isn’t, but if it needs to be
discussed, it should not be at the expense of your quality sales process. There are endless
examples of sales squirrels and they appear all the time for us.

• “I read your online reviews and I wasn’t very impressed.”

• “Just so you know, if I am going to do business with you, you are going to have to
satisfy these demands.”
• “I hope you aren’t as expensive as the last company I hired.”
• “I used your company years ago and I had a bad experience.”
• “I just want you to know that I don’t like your website.”

Don’t chase the squirrel. The customer is either erecting walls to protect themselves or
trying to take control of the sale so they can get more favorable terms. It is a strong signal
that you are dealing with a customer who needs to always feel in control. When you have
a controlling customer, you can give them the illusion of control by simply listening.
Remember, customers are won over when they feel like they have been heard because it
gives them a sense of control. This can be your moment to get the sale back into your
process by applying the H.E.L.P. Method.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Beware of Sales Squirrels

6.2 THE H.E.L.P. METHOD

If you see a Sales Squirrel, then you are going to need help to get the sale back under
control. That’s where the H.E.L.P. Method comes in.

Hold - When you see your Sales Squirrel, stop everything you are doing to take a
moment and think. What did I just hear? How important is it? Will this take me
off my sales process? What is the best response I can offer? Think before you speak.

Empathize - Acknowledge what you just heard and repeat it back to the customer.
Let them know it is okay to bring this up. “I understand that you saw some of our
online reviews that concern you and that’s something you would like to discuss. I check
online reviews as well so it makes sense to me that you would bring this up.”

Leave it - Let the thought perish as you move the customer through a quality sales
process. Sometimes acknowledging the objection is simply enough. After all, you
don’t want to spend 10 minutes of your 30-minute engagement talking about a
bad online review. If that matter needs to be discussed, then we should wait until
after we have completed the sales process.

Postpone - The objection might be a sales squirrel, but perhaps it is important

after all. Does it mean that it must be discussed immediately? Usually not, and if
it is, that means that you have given control over to the customer. Why not wait
until after you have completed your sales process? Oftentimes at this point the
customer has either forgotten about it or finds it to be less important than they
initially indicated. “This sounds like something I should know more about. Let me
make a note about this and come back around to our online reviews a little bit later.”

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6.3 MASTERING YOUR PAUSE

There is a lot to say about silence. It is considered golden, uncomfortable, wise, creepy and
so forth. Salespeople talk. They love to talk. They hang on to their own every word. Like
a fish that swims without end, salespeople just can’t seem to stop talking. In fact, when
the customer says nothing, salespeople take it as a signal that they want us to keep talking.
You probably misread the customer. Why does the concept of silence make us feel weak
as salespeople?

Silence demonstrates a number of things to a buyer that can actually make them feel more
comfortable and give you more opportunities. To the buyer, it may demonstrate that you
are a patient listener instead of a pushy salesperson. It can show that you are careful with
your words which expresses carefulness in selling them something that they actually need.
Silence demonstrates that you can control your emotions and impulses making it easier to
plant purchasing cues to the buyer. There is a lot of power in a quick pause. These pauses
can create control.

How do we as salespeople invoke the power of the pause? Now, that sounds like a simple
and silly question, but many salespeople struggle with this. Here are some easy techniques
that you can, and should, be trying.

1. Pause and wait your turn - We are so eager to talk that when someone else
is talking that we automatically deactivate our listening and spend the time
crafting our next response. Slow down and listen to what is being said and
demonstrate that you heard the customer’s perspective.
2. Do not interrupt, just pause - We all know that interrupting is rude, yet
many of us still do it. It is because we are eager to speak but it comes across
as being disinterested in the other person. Control every urge in your body to
interrupt someone or else lose control of the sale.
3. Pause for 3 seconds before you respond - This can seem like an eternity
in the moment, but what it really does is cleanses your mind before words
just plop out of your mouth like so much garbage. It also gives customers a
moment to readjust their focus and dial in on what you’re about to say instead
of thinking about what they want to say next. You can use your body while
you are silent. Nodding your head signals to people that you are processing
what you heard them say.
4. Take a pause when you speak - Silence is extremely disruptive when it comes
to noise. It instantly gets our attention because our mind tells us that there is
a significant change in the environment. Your senses sharpen quickly and focus
on whatever comes next with great intensity. This is important for the many of
us who like to speak in run-on sentences. Take a 2 to 3 second break for every
minute you speak, and you will keep the customer engaged and under control.

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5. Make the ask and then pause - The silence after we ask for the business is
crushing no matter how long it lasts. But this is the silence that will make or
break your deal. Do not, under any circumstance, be the next person to speak.
Hold your pause because if you don’t, you will begin to dismantle the sale by
double talking, offering discounts and talking in circles. When you do not
pause after the ask, you have handed control to the buyer in a way that they
can leverage the moment into the terms that they want.

6.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY

A sales squirrel is something the customer says, does or asks that completely makes you lose
focus of the sale. If you chase the sales squirrel, you will likely lose control of the sale. The
H.E.L.P. Method is the best way to manage a sales squirrel by applying this 4-step method:

1. Hold before you respond

2. Empathize with what the customer is trying to convey
3. Leave the squirrel alone in a quality sales process
4. Postpone addressing the concern until later in the process when it become
more appropriate.

Well placed pauses in your conversation well help you regain control of the sale.

• Pause and wait your turn

• Do not interrupt, just pause
• Pause for 3 seconds before you respond
• Take a pause when you speak

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Close the deal or walk away

7 CLOSE THE DEAL OR WALK AWAY

You have arrived at the moment of truth and it is time to ask for the sale. You have done
everything necessary to control yourself, your process and the customer up until this point.
There are only 3 choices for the customer: yes, no and maybe. Let’s face it, you are not
going to win every sale no matter how much control you have in the process. What you
are selling is not going to be a fit for everyone and sometimes you have to simply walk
away from the sale. If you did not get a ‘yes’, then everyone must decide if, or how, to
move forward. If you get a ‘no’ or a ‘maybe’, that does not mean that the sale is over yet,
but there is certainly a barrier for you to work through. Before you decide to work through
the barrier or walk away from the sale, there are 5 stages to complete to see if you can still
reach a ‘yes’.

1. Maintain your position - Don’t back down immediately just because the
customer did not say ‘yes’ right away. Especially if the barrier to the sale is
price. Remember, never lower your price until you ask twice. Even if there are
other objections to the sale that aren’t price, resist the urge to go immediately
into negotiation mode. Always ask twice.
2. Check for fitness - Be honest, are you trying to fit a square peg in a round
hole? Is the sale really right for you and the customer or have you been
ignoring important cues all along?
3. Negotiation - Some barriers in the sale are negotiable, but do you have enough
cushion to work with? Are the customer’s objections reasonable and workable?
Do not create promises you can’t deliver on for the sake of making the sale.
4. Managing expectations - You’re so close to making the sale. If you can
cross the finish line, how well can you manage the customer’s expectations?
Are you creating more problems with this sale or can you reasonably
deliver on their expectations?
5. Is it worth giving up control? - If you have to adjust your deal to the
customer’s satisfaction, that means they now have control. This may be ok, but
there is a good chance that the customer will remain in control now that the
sale has been made and they may become unreasonable to deal with moving
forward in some fashion. If they changed the terms on you once, then they are
likely to try again. It may be better to maintain control and walk away from
the sale rather than developing a difficult customer relationship.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Close the deal or walk away

7.1 CHAPTER SUMMARY

You are not going to win every sale, so you must decide on whether you can and should
close the deal or just walk away. Before you decide whether or not the customer is worth
pursuing, make sure you complete these 5 stages:

1. Maintain your position

2. Check for fitness
3. Negotiation
4. Managing expectations
5. Is it worth giving up control?

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Will You Jump?

8 WILL YOU JUMP?

These concepts are easy, but the work can be hard. You now have a choice. Do you continue
to do sales the way you have been, or do you try something new? What’s really at stake
here? Do you just want to learn something new, make incremental changes or become a
high performer? Any response here would be fine except there is a pivotal moment where
we decide whether or not we catalog or apply our new found knowledge. Before you make
that decision, consider the story of the child who wouldn’t swim.

8.1 THE BOY WHO WOULDN’T SWIM

There is a boy who loves to go to the beach. Ever since he was very young, he loved to get
on the sand, play with his toys and run up to the water. You could see the excitement in
his eyes as he watched the other children play in the waves and swim around. He wanted
so much to be like, and play with, those children. There was one problem; he was afraid
of water. You can see that he wants to jump in, but something always gets in the way. He
overthinks it. You could try to assure him, persuade him or lure him into the waters of the
ocean, but he would not come. Why was he afraid of the water? Because he didn’t want
to get water in his eyes. Even a pair of goggles wasn’t enough to motivate him. He just sat
on the beach watching the other kids play year after year. He’d ask, “Does it hurt when
the water gets in your eyes?”. “Of course, it does for a moment”, you reply, “but it doesn’t
sting that bad and quite frankly, you’ll have so much fun that you won’t even think about
it. Just jump in.” He never could get past the thought that trying something new might
hurt for a little bit, even though something better awaits.

We’re all hesitant at one point or another to try something new. Change can bring both
pain and reward, but it always comes with a sense of uncertainty. Mastering the art of
controlling the sale not only takes time and practice, but it starts with making the decision
to do something different. Something that can drastically improve your performance while
creating a better experience for your customer.

8.2 CONTROL YOUR SALES WINGS

Learning a new and powerful sales technique is like getting a set of wings and learning to fly.
Learning to fly would be scary and so is controlling the sale at first. Here’s the funny thing
about these new sales wings. In order for your sales wings to open, you have to jump. There
is no getting around that fact. You must try. And I have some news for you, your wings

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Will You Jump?

probably won’t open right away. This will happen in front of other people and it will both
likely hurt and be slightly embarrassing. You can indeed expect some bumps and scrapes
as you’re trying to apply your learning. But your sales wings will open and it won’t take as
many jumps as you think. When they do open and you find yourself flying among the high
performers, you’ll be glad that you did. There is one thing that is also certain, if you don’t
jump, you stay on the ground watching the others fly. You’ll say, “I wish I could do that”,
but you won’t. You’ll be the child sitting alone on the beach, too afraid of the water, too
scared of a little salt water getting in your eyes. You now have the wings. Will you jump?

Control your sales wings

Just jump

8.3 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Are you ready to make a change? Can you try something new, accept brief and early mistakes
to develop of better technique and improve your results? Remember the boy who wouldn’t
swim. Don’t be afraid to jump in the water and join the others who are enjoying success.

We all have sales wings. Some work better than others, but sooner or later you will have to
jump. You can control your customers, yourself and your process if you just jump.

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CONTROLLING THE SALE Conclusion

CONCLUSION
The techniques outlined in Controlling The Sale are not a quick fix to your sales problems.
They take time to develop and master and it all starts with learning how to control yourself.
Controlling the sale takes confidence and you develop this with the faith in your product,
your process, and yourself. You must learn to become and order maker and not an order
taker. To become an order maker, you must learn to control yourself, your process and
your customer.

Do your best not to play defense when interacting with customers. Once you plant the
seeds of doubt, you find yourself defending your price more that you would like to. When
you have confidence and control, you will always remember to never lower your price until
after you ask for it twice. It is natural for sales objections to occur during this process.
These objections never magically disappear and will fester until they are acknowledged and
addressed. In order to control these objections, you must always acknowledge, empathize,
normalize, challenge and ask for the sale again.

Every salesperson has a sales process whether they have defined it or not. When you are in
control of your process, you will have control of the sale and you can achieve predictable
and successful results. Make sure your sales process has well thought out questions for the
customer to lead them to the sale. A good salesperson is always listening more than she is
speaking. The Customer Substance Investigation (CSI) will allow you to build trust with
the customer while maintaining the control of the sale.

Sales squirrels are used by customers to get control of the sale away from you. Don’t chase
the squirrel. Use the H.E.L.P. Method to hold, acknowledge and either leave or postpone
the objection so you can stay focused on your sales process. Learning to pause before, during
and after you speak will help you retain control with the customer while giving them the
sense that they are, in fact, in control of the sale.

You know you cannot win every deal, so it is up to you to work through the 5 stages of
closing a deal before you decide to take the deal or walk away. Maintain your position,
check for fitness, negotiate if you must, manage the expectations and decide if the deal will
allow you to retain control.

You have a new set of sales wings. Don’t be like the boy who wouldn’t swim; try something
new. Open your wings and, after a few jumps, you will see that you can fly higher than
you did before by getting a better process, more sales and better customer experiences.

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