The dying words of Captain John Miller to Private James Ryan that he carried with him the rest of his life.
In business relationships, when do we earn it? In this case, the “it” I’m referring to is the right to challenge. The right to push back. The right to expect that your customer or prospect owes you a quid pro quo.
How much value do you need to deliver in the sales process before it’s your customer’s turn to reciprocate? As a customer, I say it’s my prerogative to decide when that happens. As a general rule, sellers need to take their queues and signals from their prospects.
Of course, with every rule there are a slew of exceptions. If a seller’s Spidey sense tingles with the feeling that his prospects or customers are taking advantage or being unreasonably demanding, he’s well within his right to back off or gracefully disengage.
But until you’ve built a trust, until you’ve earned the right in your prospects eyes, directly challenging him or expecting something from him in return for you doing what you’re supposed to do to earn his business is really not going to get you anywhere.
So, if you’re of the mindset that your date should automatically spend the night in return for that nice dinner, tell me up front. Sorry, I’m not your girl.
