It is always fascinating in working with our sales professionals when they are experiencing difficulties in securing a sale. I like to inquire about the prospect and suggest sales strategies to assist them in moving the prospect into the family of clients. One important question that I always ask is this:

What is the prospect’s buying temperament?

I will define the term as the prospect’s emotional perception of the offering, timing, and the impact it will make in their life and in the life of their family. I have identified five buying temperaments for you to review when evaluating your prospects.

First, is what is referred as the euphoric prospect. This person is flying high in all areas of their lives and they don’t see how life could get better. Everything that they touch turns into gold.

Secondly, you have the content prospect. This person is satisfied with their outcomes in life. They are in a state of equilibrium.

Thirdly, there is the sensitive prospect. This type of prospect is becoming aware that all is not well in their lives and that they are aware of impending changes that could negatively impact their lives.

Fourthly, there is the annoyed prospect. This type of prospect has experienced the consequences of an event that could have been avoided as they taken some action in their recent past.

Fifthly and finally there is the frantic prospect. This type of prospect is in the middle of an emotional storm. They search for a remedy to their predicament.

Now that we have established the criterion it is time to fill in the solution for each of your prospect’s buying temperament. The challenges are to understand your prospect thoroughly. You accomplish this task by listening intently, questioning freely and confirming consistently. The euphoric prospect needs to be reminded that their present condition was not accomplished by accident. You are there to be a preventer of future challenges and to protect their successful lifestyle. The content prospect is motivated by routine and the security of predictability. You should be educating them that your offering will reinforce this belief. The sensitive prospect will respond by hearing about others in their similar situation and how you were able to solve their problem or improve their circumstances with your products and services. The annoyed prospect will respond with a higher degree of empathy directed to them and the situation that they are facing.

Take them into the future but equip them with your solutions in order to accomplish their objectives.

Lastly, there is the frantic prospect. This would seem to be the most likely to agree to purchase your product and services; however, it is important that realistic expectations are established concerning your proposed solution.

Each of these groups of prospects can be influenced to accept your offering. Moreover, when your incorporate pragmatic selling to your skill set you have gone a long way into ensuring that you are the consummate professional who can assist others in making decisions that are logical, reasonable and will reap future benefits for them.