Why Should You Embrace Assertiveness in Sales?
From time to time I will meet a salesperson who will tell me that they are not assertive.
Typically they say things like, “I’m not pushy – I just let the sale happen,”or “The customers will let me know when they’re ready to buy, but I’m not going to push it.”
There exists for many salespeople a built-in excuse for not closing – “it’s just not me.”
I suppose that’s fine if your only interest is in keeping the customer, and yourself, in a comfortable place.
But look closely – that was never in your job description.
Comfortable is probably the last word anyone would use to describe the world of sales.
The sales process is a two-way street. Both the customer and the sales person have needs.
There is a win-win solution, and ultimately that involves the prospect moving forward with a purchase decision. That’s right, in order for everyone to win in the sales process, a transaction must take place.
And like it or not, it is your job as the sales person to lead the process.
But, how much is too much? How much should we push, and when should we back off?
To gain some perspective on this topic, consider a definition.
In the classic book Your Perfect Right, authors Robert Alberti and Michael Emmons offer the following definition of “assertiveness”:
Assertive self-expression is direct, firm, positive – and when necessary persistent – action intended to promote equality in person-to-person relationships.
Assertiveness enables us to act in our own best interests, to stand up for ourselves without undue anxiety, to exercise personal rights without denying the rights of others, and to express our feelings honestly and comfortably.
Inherent in that description is the idea that I can ask for what I want, so long as I am respectful to the person to whom I am asking.
I believe many salespeople (in all industries) lack the necessary assertiveness for the job. Their fear of rejection is so high that they end up paralyzed in their approach.
Often this is due to a high level of threat sensitivity, as they play out the worst-case scenarios of customer interactions.
This robs the sales person from accomplishing his or her goals. And – more importantly – that they are also robbing the prospect of the same thing!
When we let our fear get in the way we force the customer to make the next move.
If they share a fear in buying the way that many salespeople demonstrate a fear in selling, they will sit on the sideline.
Assertive is not a dirty word.
You have a right to ask for the sale, and your customer has the right to say no. But, if you do not give them the opportunity to say yes, they never will.
