Why do we all block salespeople? What is it about salespeople that makes us go, "Shields up!" as soon as they call on us?
We claim we're busy, we give excuses, we say we love what we're currently doing (even if we don't), all to keep them at arm's length.
Whether they're pushing a small, transactional sale or a complex enterprise sale, something in us makes us go "Nope!" as soon as our brain's salesperson tripwire is tripped. Why?
The reason why is very simple: salespeople are agents of change.
Humans hate change. We hate the risk that comes with leaving something known and stepping into something unknown. Change is one of the most difficult things humans go through in life. Even when it's good, it's painful.
Salespeople are agents of change. They're selling change. Their goal is to help us change from doing whatever we're doing now to doing something else instead.
Maybe that'll mean moving away from a competitor. Maybe that'll mean doing something new. Whatever the change may be, change is painful, and the pain of change is intense and deep and something we all want to avoid.
We avoid salespeople because they're agents of change. We all instinctively react with, "Shields up!" when somebody tries to start selling us something.
So to all of the salespeople out there: don't take it personally. Any time you walk into a room, know that you are bringing the threat of change with you.
Your teachers and your professors may have told you that it's a really good thing to be an agent of change. But in real life, no human really wants to change.
For example: If you're selling software, somebody, somewhere is going to have to implement it. Somebody is going to have to adopt it. Somebody's going to have to change what they're doing, and start doing it the new way with the new system and the new software. They're being totally reasonable when they block you.
If you're selling anything, simply remember that the reflex we all have against salespeople isn't so much a rejection of you or what you're selling, but a rejection of the change you represent.
Let that inform your sales calls. Keep in the back of your mind that you can have empathy with this person, because we all block sales people and their threatened pain of change. Bring that empathy into your sales calls.
And especially make sure that what you're bringing outweighs the pain of change for that prospect, or take that prospect off your forecast because they'll never go through the pain of change to adopt what you're selling.
(But of course, make sure that you never use declarative sentences with this topic! This has to happen with great questions. Declarative sentences will simply invite an argument with your prospect.)
We've been helping thousands of companies for the last four decades to position their value in a way that outweighs the pain of change in the right ways for the right prospects. If you'd like to know more, reach out to us; we'd love to chat.
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