Change comes from growth, and growth comes from conflict. Think about all the life lessons you hold close to you. They probably all emerged from some kind of struggle that you’ve experienced in your life. As painful as those moments are, you’re stronger and smarter because of them.
It’s like when you try a new workout program, and the first few weeks are rough. You can barely move because you’re so sore, and each new exercise sets your muscles on fire. But then you notice that the more you’re pushing yourself, the more you change. You no longer toss and turn through the night, you have long-lasting energy throughout the day, and you actually look forward to each new workout because you know that the challenge is making you stronger.
Conflict doesn’t hinder us, it strengthens us.
In my latest book, The Mindset of a Sales Warrior, I dedicate an entire chapter to explaining why salespeople are afraid of conflict. Sales warriors know that without conflict there is no change. Every prospect who’s interested in buying from you will have some sort of objection. One thing I know is that the prospects you speak with who don’t have objections almost definitely aren’t going to buy from you. Objections are just a natural part of the buying process; it’s a sign your prospect is actively working through it in their mind, and that’s exactly what you want. That’s why sales warriors aren’t just prepared for conflict. They welcome it.
“The more objections you hear, the closer you are to closing the sale.”
Objections are nothing more than feedback. And the more objections you hear, the closer you are to closing the sale. So often salespeople think of objections as criticism, and I’ve even seen some take a prospect’s objections personally.
As a sales warrior you should not only welcome feedback, but you should revere it. Feedback is the path to mastery. You can’t remove your prospect’s leashes unless you have the knowledge first. You can’t handle your buyer’s objections until you know what they are. Imagine the certainty you’ll have when you know exactly what’s holding the buyer back from choosing you over all alternatives. That’s what having no fear of conflict is all about.
All the time I see salespeople procrastinate on this step because they’ve been programmed to see conflict as a negative. Always remember this: Conflict isn’t a negative in the hands of a sales warrior who wants to improve their prospects’ lives. Productive conflict is absolutely the fastest way to close the sale.
In recent years, psychologists have become aware of the phenomenon known as “post-conflict growth.” This term was coined by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun, who interviewed dozens of people who experienced traumatic life events. They found that for many of these people, dealing with this huge traumatic conflict released a surge of personal development and growth. It wasn’t just a coping skill, they actually gained significant benefits from it. In Tedeschi and Calhoun’s terms, they experienced “positive life changes.” They gained new inner strength and often developed skills and abilities that they never knew they had before.
The exciting part of the conflict is that it’s the way to achieve resolution with the prospect that can’t be achieved any other way. When you view conflict as a win/win, and not a win/lose proposition, you immediately go from feeling weak to feeling strong.
Instead of viewing conflict as a battle between you and the prospect, it’s really an internal struggle the prospect is going through on their own. They want to take the next step and make a purchase, but they’re going through an internal war. “Should I buy? Should I not buy? Should I buy from here? Or here? What features do I need? How will I know when I’ve found the right one?”
When you see it like this, you can truly view yourself as their vehicle for life improvement. You can help them win that internal battle they’re having with themselves by providing solutions. And best of all, it helps you truly understand where their frustration comes from. When it bubbles up to the surface in the form of indecision or confusion, it isn’t personal. It’s just part of their personal conflict that you can help them solve.
Traditional Sales And Leadership Training Fails To Address The Real Problem!
You’ve tried training your team in the past, but it didn’t really work. The old style of training just doesn’t seem to work anymore. It’s no secret that sales and leadership training is essential, but it can be hard to find a training program that actually works. Most programs are outdated and are not focused on changing behavior.
FPG Sales Training is different. We don’t use the traditional approach of lecturing your team for hours on end. Instead, we help your team understand their mindset and give them the tools they need to succeed. We help them remove their excuses so they can finally achieve their goals. Book a Meeting today!
Jason Forrest
Jason Forrest has disrupted the sales training industry by creating the first training program that changes behavior. This is done through 1) teaching tactical real-world processes; 2) the language of persuasion, 3) removing the mental leashes that hold people back, and 4) through a program-based training approach. This philosophy is what led his Warrior Selling® and Leadership Sales Coaching programs to be ranked in the top 2 of the World’s Top Sales Development Programs, by Global Gurus. His provocative style of speaking his truth ranks him at number 5 on the Global Sales Guru list.
Jason is a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, the science of influence and behavioral change. He is also a Practitioner in Accelerated Evolution, the psychology of removing fear in high performers.
