Resistance to the sales pitch

Most of us take the same cautionary stance when we are approached by a sales person. We raise our shields because we expect them to give us a pitch of something we may or may not be interested.

Somehow, we have the feeling sales is something we need to push through in order to get what we want.

This resistance to the sales pitch is well known, and many people think it can be prevented by doing a less "salesly" approach. People is smart, and they are aware of what you are doing.

You can overcome some of the resistance using Reciprocation in sales, for example, or by following a Zig-Zag approach, meaning that you take on the role of an "assistant buyer". This may be one the role of a distributor, since they have different offers in their portfolio.

Your role is to educate the prospect on the alternatives, benefits, and help them make an informed decision. You ensure they invest their resources in the best possible way, not just by giving you money.

Good sales people don't just lash out at the competition, they embrace it, and help you understand why one alternative is superior to the other. In many cases, you could be satisfied with both products, but there's a natural inclination to pay more attention to the person who is giving you something up front, without asking anything in return.

If you are generous, you'll end up building reputation, which is what you need to ensure a continuous flow of happy prospects.

Also, keep in mind that when something sounds too good to be true it probably is. Therefore, admitting limitations early on will help manage expectations, and will give you the reputation of being honest about what you are trying to sell.