If you’re new to sales, I’m afraid I have some harsh news for you.

You see, no matter what your intentions or level of integrity, because you play the role of a salesperson, people will automatically distrust you.

In fact, in one of the greatest ironic twists in our society, they’ll feel justified in lying to you.  Talk about projection!

Honestly, though, who can blame them?

We’ve all dealt with pushy, manipulative salespeople before, bought something we regretted – sometimes even on a payment plan – and had to live with the consequences.

“I’m not one of those sleaze bags,” you might say.  “I don’t push things on my prospects or sell them more than they need.  I’m here to help them!”

All of that may be true, Dudley Dooright, but you’re never going to help your prospects until you can get them to start talking, stop lying, and have an honest conversation.

It’s during these candid chats that business owners reveal their true pain points – the stuff that keeps them up at night and present to you the crises that you can fix.

The problem? Nobody wants to talk about their deepest business worries, especially not to a salesperson they’ve just met.

So, what do you do?

Well, there’s a technique that’s surprisingly effective at getting the conversation rolling, and it’s this:

Allow yourself to be corrected.

Here’s what I mean…

Basically, when you’re talking to a prospect, you make a correctable, but true, statement that your prospect can chime in on to show his expertise.

My friend Ed Forteau is a sales trainer who is a master at this. Years ago, when gas prices first started going crazy, he was cold calling business owners to pitch an online advertising program. Knowing gas prices were well over $2 a gallon, he would say something like:

“People here are paying $1.75 a gallon for gas! Can you believe it? A dollar seventy-five!”

The business owner could hardly wait for him to finish talking so they could set him straight. They’d launch into how they were actually paying over two dollars a gallon and how it was wrecking their profits.

Ed would just sympathize and keep them talking until the prospect was practically begging for help.

Why does this work?

1. The prospect already thinks you’re clueless.
   By making a statement that’s true but outdated, you’re confirming their suspicion – but on your terms.

2. Everyone loves to be the expert.
   You’re giving them a chance to show off their knowledge.

3. People can’t resist one-upping others.
   When someone complains about a minor inconvenience, those with real problems can’t wait to set the record straight.

4. They follow a tried and true psychological principle.
   Once they’ve passionately expressed how bad things are, it becomes psychologically difficult for them to backtrack, even if they were exaggerating. This is cognitive dissonance at work.

Suddenly, your prospect – who moments ago didn’t have time to talk – won’t let you leave until you understand just how challenging their situation is.

Now, this isn’t about spouting nonsense. The key is to make a statement that’s true, but incomplete or outdated. It gives your prospect the chance to “educate” you with the full picture.

Here are some examples that tap into real small business pain points:

You:  “So and so down the street said he’s paying 5% more across the board for all of his supplies.” 

Prospect:  “Five percent?  More like a hundred! I’m paying double for supplies, for labor, for fuel for my work trucks – and don’t ask what happens when one of them breaks down!  Five percent? Man that must be nice!” 

You:  “I saw the latest number from the government today.  It’s got to be great to have your business picking up again, huh?” 

Prospect:  “Turning around? Turning around? The only place my business is picking up is from the bottom of cliff it just fell off of.  Did you know it now cost me almost three times as much to just (fill in the blank).” 

You: “Thank God supply chain issues are a thing of the past now, huh?” 

Prospect: “If by past you mean ‘yesterday!’ Why I’m still waiting six weeks for ________”

Remember, the goal isn’t to argue or prove them wrong. It’s to get them talking honestly about their situation. Once they’ve opened up, you can start exploring how your solutions might help.

Also, please note that these are statements, not questions. You’re just throwing a statement out there that they can respond to or not.

This technique isn’t about tricking anyone. It’s about creating an opening for an honest conversation. By allowing yourself to be corrected, you’re giving the prospect permission to let their guard down and share their real challenges.

From there, your job is to listen, understand, and show them how your product can solve their problems.

Pic designed by pressfoto for Freepik.com.

Brent Hoodenpyle is a Texas-based digital marketing and sales specialist with over twenty years experience working with a wide range of companies to improve their digital stats and revenue.