Training Tips

Enthusiasm: Use sparingly and at the appropriate times

Although enthusiasm has its place in sales, reps that over do it are making a big mistake. Shamus Brown shares his advice about enthusiasm in his sales-tips.industrialego.com article “Enthusiastic Selling — An Outdated Sales Cliché.”

“Sales was simpler when buyers weren’t overloaded with marketing messages as they are today,” Brown says.

In past decades when customers were not bombarded with offers and advertising, sales professionals could rely on their enthusiasm and persistence to always make the sale. Today, however, people have become jaded. Endless claims of how something new product or service will change their lives cause people to glaze over during sales calls. Choices abound for consumers, and it’s much more difficult to stand out.

“Overly enthusiastic sales people are often considered hype-masters, caricatures of a salesman,” Brown explains.

Effective selling today requires mastery of a wider range of emotions. Reps should behave appropriately according to where they are in the sales cycle. Showing too much enthusiasm too quickly is a big turnoff for customers. To start out, curiosity and even confusion can help sales professionals find out important information about the prospect’s needs. The more informed they are, the easier it is to sell in a way that’s tailored to the customer’s needs.

“Enthusiasm should be saved for closing time. When a buyer needs to see your confidence and have your reassurance is when you want to be enthusiastic about your company, your products or your services,” Brown writes.