Combatting Misinformation in Sales

“This whole idea of traveling via locomotive is silly. Everyone knows that when the human body reaches a speed of 30 miles-per-hour, blood circulation will stop.”. This was a commonly held truth in the early 1800s.

If you were selling train tickets back then, how would you combat this perspective? Nobody had traveled faster…yet (maybe a few on a really fast horse)

Or you’re introducing the telephone – which will revolutionize communication forever! You exhibit the device at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, and everyone ignores you. Instead, they rush to see a giant statue made entirely of butter (The Dreaming Iolanthe).

You’re introducing the sewing machine – which will revolutionize clothing production forever! You exhibit the product at a large convention. An angry mob threatened by it arrives and smashes it to pieces.

These aren’t made up…this all happened.

Misinformation. Commonly held perceptions. Advancements viewed as all-out threats to professions. These people aren’t stupid – even though sometimes prevailing opinions don’t make much sense. 

What are you to do as a salesperson, when your solution can truly progress individuals, organizations, or even humanity?

I witnessed a sales call where a prospect shared an opinion that the salesperson thought was wildly inaccurate. The salesperson combatted that opinion with logic, facts, and data. The customer entrenched even harder in their previously held opinion, slapping back each piece of logic – then adding their own. There was no winner…just two more polarized individuals.

Or was this a political discussion? I forget…

“Opinion is ultimately determined by the feelings, and not by the intellect” – Herbert Spencer, 1851

Norval Hawkins – Henry Ford’s “Million Dollar Man”

“In a skillfully finished sale, there should be neither victor nor vanquished. The selling process is not a battle of minds. There is no room in it for any spirit of antagonism on the part of the salesman.” – Norval Hawkins, Certain Success, 1911

Step 1: Listen.

“If you make a brilliant approach from YOUR standpoint, you will fail; if you make a clumsy approach from THEIR standpoint, you will probably succeed.” – Herbert Casson, 1911

Step 2: Let them see.

…and last time I checked, buyers can’t see through their ears.

You know what didn’t help Stevens, Bell, & Elias? Combatting feelings with logic. Logic polarizes. You’re seeing it every minute of every day in the political spectrum right now.

We establish our foundational opinions & feelings via three primary channels:
1. Our upbringing
2. From those we highly respect and trust
3. Our own experiences

Which ones can you impact? You can’t impact the prospect’s upbringing (obviously). Can you guess which ones John Stevens, Alexander Graham Bell, and Elias Howe leveraged?

People needed to see those they know, trust, and respect riding on a train going faster than 30MPH and not dying. Your customers need to be able to predict, not be convinced.

It’s why we read reviews, reading the negative reviews first, We want to relate to the upside and downside, the risks and the rewards.

Leading with the true potential downside builds trust, so you can address the feelings that may be inaccurate with an open mind.

We want our own perspective of the truth, not yours. 

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I’m a sales keynote speaker who also teaches revenue organizations how to leverage transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity. It’s what I do…teach sellers, their leaders, well…entire revenue organizations how we as human beings make decisions, then how to use that knowledge for good (not evil) in their messaging (informal and formal), negotiations, and revenue leadership. I wrote a book Book Authority listed as the 6th best sales book of all time (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦), and a second award-winning book (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳).

Reach out if you want to discuss The Transparency Sale sales methodology, or really…anything else (sales kickoffs, workshops, keynotes, the economy, history, etc.)! Email info@toddcaponi.com or call 847-999-0420.

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