By Mike Hirschfield, CEO, Assured Influence

You cannot give someone something that you don’t already possess. We all want others to believe in us, our ideas, and our products and offerings; but to what degree do we believe it all ourselves? Nothing can demonstrate your confidence, commitments, and beliefs more clearly than your willingness and determination to persist, in spite of resistance. It’s not always easy, but it is always possible.

Some of our most influential leaders, teachers, and producers have exemplified and articulated the importance of persistence. You’ve likely been advised to never give up and keep going by those in your inner circle. Even the Bible contains dozens of inspired verses encouraging us to be persistent in all areas of life.

So, why is it then that so many people fail to persist and even look down upon those who do when it pertains to sales? Perhaps it’s because sales persistence is often confused with sales pressure. In actuality, they are entirely different. Sales pressure is communicating the same thing over and over again regardless of the other persons’ fears, worries, or concerns.

Sales persistence, on the other hand, requires that you empathize, adjust, and then move forward with a new approach, better message, and more value. After all, who better to serve and take care of them than you?

When It Matters
Persistence is not something that only applies to certain people, at certain times, under certain circumstances. The merits of being persistent apply universally.

Do you spend the majority of your time finding deals or truly working to forge deals? If the goal is to just find enough people who will show up ready and able to do business, then you operate in a very small world. By in large, people are naturally reluctant and not quick to act. The majority of our opportunities exist in creating interest, creating engagement, creating desire, and creating urgency. When you are persistent you take time out of the equation and communicate in a way that allows you to bring value, add value, and become a person of immense value.

Persistence communicates that you:

• Genuinely care about them. Do you believe that people are better off when they conduct business with you? You are changing lives, whether you realize it or not. What you do matters.
• Are confident in your abilities. Do you believe in yourself? It is you and your efforts that ultimately make the difference. It’s what you say, what you ask, and how you act that determines your success.
• Understand their situation and are certain in your solution. Do you believe that your product or offer improves peoples’ lives? While energy is important, your certainty is far more influential than your enthusiasm. The best sales close will always be your personal feelings about your product or offering.
• That there are many reasons to move forward. Do you believe that there is a value that goes beyond what’s in a brochure or on a website? The highest level of value is the value that you create by leveraging real insights. What is personal and unique to each buyer will always be what’s most compelling.

6 Habits of Highly Persistent People

6

They Use Resistance to Gain Additional Insights and Add More Value

Why It Matters
Persistence cannot be replaced. There is absolutely no substitute. Either you will lean-in, stay with each opportunity, and figure it out – or you won’t. Make no mistake, everyone is a buyer! Everyone either has the resources to make a deal or can be resourceful if they want to. Why would you give up on a deal? Don’t sell yourself short. Just because someone didn’t agree to move forward right away at the first ask, doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel and prematurely give up.

Ask yourself: What do I cost others when I don’t hang in there and get past peoples’ concerns? If it was important enough for you to start, it is important enough for you to follow through. When you are persistent, you communicate in a way that allows you to build connections and compel your customers to buy.

Persistence is needed because:

• Sometimes people need to hear it another way. There are six emotional motives to buy. Do you know what they are? The right message delivered in the wrong way will not produce the result you are looking for. Without a doubt, until it feels right it will never be right. Sometimes all it takes is reframing and repositioning your message with the right language that hits home.
• Sometimes people need more reasons to move forward. Every sale requires the buyer to sacrifice. Before moving forward, they need to feel good about what they are getting in exchange. There are five levels of value. Are you leveraging all five? Sometimes all it takes is to stack on another level of value and effectively connect the dots to another reason to move forward. If you give someone a big enough reason to move, they will move every time, but it must be their reason and not yours.
• Sometimes people just really don’t know how to move forward. Whether it’s making sense of the time involved, making sense of the effort it takes, making sense of the cost, or something else, there are times when people just don’t know how to move forward. There are times people need real guidance. Showing the way is just as important as showing the why. Sometimes all it takes is holding their hand and leading them through the next step.
• Sometimes people just need more time to make sense of it all. We have all been there. We have all procrastinated or even completely ignored an opportunity only to later decide that it all-of-a-sudden makes perfect sense. Sometimes customers just need more time to make sense of it; whether that is five minutes, five days, or five months. Asked at a different time, you can get a completely different response.

Persistence pays! I encourage you to adapt the six habits of highly persistent people, to double down on your efforts and multiply your results.

Persistence, unlike pressure, always makes sense. You surely want others to believe in you, believe in your ideas, and believe in your offerings. Nothing can demonstrate your confidence, your commitments, and your beliefs more clearly than your willingness and determination to persist, in spite of resistance. It is you and your efforts that make the difference.

It’s not always easy, but when you empathize, adjust, and then move forward with a new approach, better message, and more value, everything changes.

About the Author

Mike Hirschfield has served in both franchise and independent dealer groups, leading teams as large as 80+ to reach new heights of achievement. He teaches how to build personal influence, become trusted advisors, and leverage personal solutions that are aligned with a customer’s most powerful buying motives. He empowers teams by developing their ability to build connections and lead customers to take action and buy now!