Sales Make it Happen

Fear Factor

It takes a positive attitude, persistence and determination to be a good salesperson. Understanding the role fear plays in every buying decision can take a salesperson from good to great .

Cognitive research labs worldwide have shown that humans will take a bigger gamble to avoid a sure loss than to improve on a sure gain. Further, a person's mood plummets more when imagining a loss than it rises when imagining an equivalent gain. Humans actually fear losing more than they covet gaining!

When a customer declines to make a purchase that would obviously benefit their business, it should not surprise salespeople to learn that fear has taken over the sale. It may well be that the salesperson's solution offers the greatest potential gain for the business; but it may also be true that other solutions offer less risk of failure or diminished success for the buyer.

So, what might the buyer fear? Ultimately buyers fear uncertainty. Is this financing method the best choice for the business? Can you deliver on your promises? What if things don't work out as planned? How will I be judged for making this decision?

The salesperson's challenge, then, is to cultivate an awareness of the role fear plays in all buying decisions, and to address those fears, whether real or imagined. Failing to recognize the fear factor in every sale robs the salesperson of the opportunity to address and overcome customer fears whenever possible. A positive attitude and determination are absolute essentials for successful sales, but unless salespeople recognize the role fear plays in their sales opportunities, they will lose sales and never know why.

--- from the desk of a retired, successful leasing company president.