Selling is a tough profession — and from all economic indicators, it may not be getting much easier anytime soon. Just about everyone in sales will experience cautious, reticent, buyers who are expecting more for less. Don’t expect to see this change. While the cup is at least half full, buyers may be seeing it differently for quite some time.

If this is what the real world is like today and is where salespeople find themselves every morning, what should they be doing? To get ahead of the competition and to put more business on your company’s books, here are strategies that can make a difference:

Sharpen Your Skills at Reading Customers

At the get go, recognize that your customers may not be quite the same people they were two or three years ago. Chances are they’ve changed. They’re looking at everything differently since what appears to be the light at the end of the tunnel may be an illusion. They don’t want to be fooled.

If we continue to think of our customers — and prospects — in the way they were previously, it’s easy to misread what they are thinking. They can be cold and seemingly disinterested, as if they don’t want to be bothered.

But it’s a mistake to write off anyone. It’s time to “re-cultivate” both customers and prospects as they find new comfort levels. Needs will still occur and those who empathize will have the inside track.

Look Out for the Inevitable Conflict That Exists in Every Sale

This is so big and it’s often a deal breaker — as we see a sale go south. Few sales managers ever talk about it. It may be so obvious that no one sees it, even though it’s the huge gulf that’s almost impossible to get across in making a sale.

Theodore Levitt, the late marketing genius at Harvard Business School, expressed the inevitable conflict that exists in every selling situation when he wrote, “Selling focuses on the need of the seller; marketing on the needs of the buyer.” No matter how we rationalize it, this conflict exists in every sale. Instead of attempting to ignore or gloss over it, it’s best to admit and recognize that it’s real: no matter what’s said, no salesperson can really sit on the buyer’s side of the table.

Since “getting the fish in the boat” is a salesperson’s objective (no matter how that’s expressed in kinder, gentler words), it shouldn’t surprise anyone that buyers are unconsciously uncomfortable and wary of salespeople who “send a message,” no matter how subtly, that getting a signature is what they care about, no matter what they say or do. This suggests that by bringing the conflict out in the open salespeople can enhance their credibility.

Watch Out for the Peacock’s Plumage

While waiting for a haircut, a sales executive encountered a “peacock moment.” In one chair a customer was showing his new wristwatch to the barber. It was big, heavy and techie. Evidently, the barber failed to show proper interest, and the customer, who knew him, said quite seriously, “You’re not manly enough to wear this watch.” For the customer, the watch was a badge of his manhood and anyone who didn’t like the watch was less of a man.

The move to strip CEOs and other corporate executives of their “plumage” by denying — or at least making unpopular — high-priced perks such as jets, exotic trips, luxury office accommodations, and the like, denies them of the “signal of superiority.”

But it isn’t just the rich and famous: almost everyone has a “plumage factor,” which presents itself in almost everything they buy, either individually or for a business.

Let the Customer Take the Lead

This can be asking too much from the salesperson that’s determined to press forward, no matter what. But not Kenneth Kahn. His company, yourgiftcertificate.net, offers businesses a sophisticated “newcomers to the community” type program.

At one point, Kahn attempted to contact a prospect that seemed like a good fit for his product, particularly since it had nearly 50 locations throughout the region.

Unfortunately, he met with little interest. Ken didn’t give up, however. Almost a year later that changed when he sent the prospect a sample of the new version of the product. Instead of trying to beat down the door, he skillfully followed up with additional information, carefully answering the prospective customer’s questions an never once using a “sales pitch” or pushing for a meeting. His approach was seen as professional and thorough.

Ken Kahn didn’t try to persuade or make unrealistic claims. Rather, he encouraged responses and kept the conversation going. By always letting the customer take the lead, he received the order.

Become More Gender Aware

This may seem politically incorrect. Yet, in our effort to avoid distinctions, we can fail to recognize significant differences between men and women.

Here are two examples:

• The salesperson couldn’t understand why the customer, a woman, was taking so much time making a buying decision for a new car. She had been to the dealership three times and was back again, clutching a file folder filled with evaluations, customer comments and reviews. As she came into the showroom, the salesperson said to a coworker “Why doesn’t she make up her mind. I don’t get it.” And, of course, that was the problem.
• At the same time, a male customer goes to buy a digital camera and the salesperson who is enthusiastic about these exciting products, launches into a detailed presentation of all the features and can’t understand why the customer interrupts, saying “I know all that. Just tell me your best price.”

If the two salespeople knew a little more about evolutionary psychology, they might have fared better. You can see this played out by going down the aisles of any supermarket. Many of the women shoppers will be comparing products, ingredients and prices, heavily weighing their decisions. Then, a male shopper comes along with his cart moving at NASCAR speed, barely stopping long enough to grab what’s on his list.

The answer to these differences seems to be in our genes. Eons ago, women spent their days caring for offspring, carefully gathering edible plants and berries for the food. As hunters, men knew the necessity of proper planning to locate their prey, make the kill and get the meat back quickly before it spoiled.

These behaviors are played out every day when men and women make purchases. It’s also explains why it’s often so frustrating when they go shopping together.

Be Known for Your Ideas

It’s safe to say that most customers want to believe that the salespeople they work with really care about their account — but they’re often less than sure. While there are certainly ways to let customers know you value them, there’s nothing more effective than a salesperson with new, innovative and helpful ideas that brings value to a customer.

The most stunning example of this is Apple. People eagerly buy their products but it’s what the products do that gets the “wow!” It’s best expressed by Apple’s late founder Steve Jobs when he described the company’s mission as “creating products that unleash human potential.” Incredibly, months before the iPad was available, physicians, hospitals, colleges, book publishers, newspapers and magazines were creating demand for it. The power of ideas makes the difference.

Selling success depends on communicating ideas that capture buyer imaginations and enhance the account. With that, we’re just ordinary salespeople trying to figure out why we have trouble meeting the numbers.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].