Contextual selling:
This morning at the hospital I had to talk to 3 different nurses to get all the information I needed. Given the pandemic, they were tired, and naturally very much on edge. They didn't want to listen to someone peppering them with questions.
This morning at the hospital I had to talk to 3 different nurses to get all the information I needed. Given the pandemic, they were tired, and naturally very much on edge. They didn't want to listen to someone peppering them with questions.
I realized what I was doing but more importantly, I read their emotional reactions. They contextualized me in a frame of reference as the "annoying patient's son". Now in all my years of doing sales, I know a thing or two about turning a situation on a dime.
Here's what you do, you flip the context around and all of a sudden your content becomes very much viewed through a different lens. Sales at heart is about contextually giving the content a home. So as their tone got more irritated with my questions...
I said, sorry ladies, mom was asking me to pick her up 3 things from pharmacy downstairs while making sure I get all this information so you won't have to answer her questions later. Let's do this, I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up a few bottles of water did you guys need any?
All of a sudden 3 nurses went from death stares to smiles and the tone went from borderline hostile to very kind and loving. I knew the way to empathetically read a nurse is to show empathy in a gentle way to one. One of the ladies asked whatever I'm getting to get her one too!
As soon as I smiled and said you got it, the other two replied wait before you go, let me get you the answers you need so you can put your mom at ease when you come back, besides the three of us might not be available when you come back.
I tell you this because it's useful to emotionally recontextualize a request from a position of empathy rather than a position of entitlement. If you learn how to effectively do this, you can close almost any deal. Unless the person just doesn't like you, in which case move on.
