The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. – Joseph Campbell
Ever seen this happen?:
The buyer has been working with the vendor for years and years – they’ve had a great relationship, with ups and downs. Long ago, the vendor rescued the buyer and earned their trust. Then things really clicked – the buyer could RELY on the vendor – jobs got done on time, on budget, and execution was to a T.
Later on, moments came up when the buyer looked at a proposal and wondered if was just a little too fat compared to last time -and now it seems like the buyer is rescuing the vendor more often than not.
Finally, after years of batting away hungry salespeople, a “second opinion” comes along worth considering.
The competing vendor has a good proposal. The price confirms the buyer’s suspicions, the support side looks at least comparable, and the product is rock solid – cutting edge even. For a fleeting moment, the buyer thinks that he may have a superior alternative in hand…
…that is, until the next time he talks with his old vendor. The years of trust, the ease of understanding and being understood, being able to talk about your life with someone who actually knows something of it, the predictability of the jokes and jibes: it’s all so comfortable. Why did he ever get into this mess with the new bidder? The buyer starts to feel guilty for having questioned those invoices, for thinking the grass could be greener elsewhere.
The competing vendor’s offer is sharp – it looks like a better product, actually, and the price can’t be beat. But maybe it’s just a facade. Taking a closer look at the offering, he notices that the product is constructed differently. He knew that all along- different seemed exciting, at first. But maybe that difference will become a problem later on – maybe it’s even inferior, even if it looks better at first blush. The fears mount…
With a cold sweat on his brow, the buyer makes a phone call to the competing vendor.
“Deal’s off. Sorry, the product just isn’t right – we’re not comfortable with the specs you’re proposing. We’re sticking with what’s working. Yes, even if it costs more, and yes, even though we said the new offer looked nicer.” The salesperson hangs up, confused at the missed opportunity.
Change seems painful. Heck, the pain of being gouged, of having business bungled on a routine basis, of being taken for granted – that pain can play second fiddle to the fear of change. That fear – a fear of the unknown – is an enemy of both the salesperson and the prospect.
A smart salesperson gets to the real pains – talking up-front about whether you’re truly willing to make a change. When problems emerge, it’s important to identify what the root causes are. That’s real “selling,” and it helps the buyer get over their own fears. It helps free them of a bad relationship – to get the better product at the better price.
