‘Oti’ was on a roll. He had closed all three sales that morning. Naturally of high energy and speed you can therefore imagine how pumped he was as he engaged the fourth one that afternoon. I, his sales manager, watched as he pitched at what he later described as “speaking at 160kph”. His prospect, a Financial Controller, listened, quietly. Three or so minutes into his pitch, Oti unleashed the credit card application forms for the Financial Controller to sign. He, however, received and placed them on his table unopened. Then speaking at 10 kph stated, while pausing after every word: “Let me first go through them and get back to you.” Opening his diary, he then gave us a follow-up appointment six months from then! Oti’s shoulders visibly slumped. Deflated, his sales day ended right there. In sales, it is important to match your customer’s energy and pace yourself. Here’s why. And how.
The importance of matching your energy to the customer
For a quality customer engagement, match your energy levels and pace with the customer’s. If he is high energy and you low, pace yourself to match him. This does not mean losing control of the sale. It means demonstrating emotional intelligence and specifically empathy and self-regulation. If, like Oti, you are high energy and fast talking, pause and study your prospect. If your prospect is the opposite, slower and measured, like the Financial Controller, exercise self-regulation. Otherwise, you could lose the sale because the prospect felt overwhelmed. The opposite may make the prospect become impatient.
Therefore, pace yourself to match the energy levels of the customer – especially if they speak at 10kph, or they are methodical by nature, or an executive. The 10kph ones particularly hate feeling rushed. We all do. It’s annoying. But for them, it goes underneath their skin and festers there like a boil. It grates their nerves and flies in the face of their being, creating resistance.
Understanding the customer’s thought process
For the decision-maker, he is always mentally scanning for the broader implications of your solution. With this knowledge you could ask, “How do you see this impacting the various aspects of the business? Let me share what we have seen in similar organizations and you can see if it applies to yours. Is this, OK?” Now you are moving at his pace. The Financial Controller, for instance, was likely processing how the credit card he wanted would impact multiple facets of his personal finance. Oti’s indifference didn’t help. A different kind of approach allows the prospect to feel engaged rather than pressured, thus moving at their preferred pace.
Finding the middle ground: slowing down and speeding up
Matching the customer’s rhythm does not mean moving from 160kph to 10. Or, if at 10, 160. You can’t. It does mean, though, finding middle ground. To help you slow down, take notes, ask questions and then shut up and listen. Pause intentionally. Mentally count to three when he has finished talking to confirm he has indeed completed his thought, before you respond. Use permission selling. “Could we look at the next step?” “Let me have your ID for photocopying if that’s OK with you.” Give them a sense of control so that they do not feel overwhelmed by your tsunami of enthusiasm. This subtle technique ensures the customer feels empowered, not bulldozed by your sales pitch.
Speeding up without losing control: Match your customer’s energy
To help you speed up, if by nature you engage at 10kph, then thorough preparation and rehearsal is your salvation. As this sales person shared: “I know I do not exhibit visible exuberance and speed like other salespeople. In fact, more than once I’ve been told I am slow. And yet I still rank top 5 on the charts. This is because I anticipate objections, and have key points ready to avoid unnecessary pauses. I’m gifted with good listening skills so I actively listen and respond promptly to queries.
“Through practice, I have learnt to reduce the ‘uhms’, ‘let me think’ and to keep small talk brief. I also maintain eye contact. My pitch is loosely structured to guide me and, in my practicing, I summarize my ideas in concise sentences to keep the momentum of the sale. I don’t like fast-talking people. Even prospects. But now instead of avoiding them, I embrace them.”
Balancing speed with wisdom
Speed is important in sales. Wisdom in exercising said speed is more important. Speed is commended as efficient. Wisdom ensures effectiveness of the sale. Speed will you see clinch the sale in record time. Wisdom will see the customer feeling good about the purchase well after the sale. The goal isn’t just to close quickly; it’s to leave the customer feeling good about the decision long after the transaction is complete. The more if it was an emotionally charged one like buying a car or house.
Match your customer’s energy
To speed up or to slow down. That is not the question. Sales success is not just about how fast you close a sale but how well you connect with the customer. Are you moving at your customer’s pace? Or are you rushing them through the process? Finding that balance could be the difference between a sale lost and a loyal customer gained.
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