While I’ve been labeled as too aggressive many times during my long career, there’s a wide gulf between aggressive and offensive.
Frankly, I’ve always believed that it’s easier to tone down aggressiveness than it is to teach it.
Along similar lines, many salespeople fret over running the risk of alienating a prospect by being too aggressive. Know this: it’s better to be too aggressive than not aggressive enough.
Try to explain to me why a prospect should get angry with you for pushing the envelope with good, probing, open-ended questions designed to find out how you can help him/her. Frankly, the only explanations that would make any sense are that either he’s/she’s a jerk, insecure about his/her ability to answer your questions, or a combination of both.
And what if the prospect does get angry? It’s not like he’s/she’s going to cancel a big order; after all, he/she hasn’t bought anything from you yet, remember?
Over the years, I’ve received mostly compliments for my never-say-die attitude on sales calls. While compliments are nice, they’re not nearly as nice, or as rewarding, as an order, a fact I hasten to point out to prospects whenever the opportunity presents itself. “If you really and truly think so highly of me, you can prove it by becoming a customer” – or words to that effect.
None of the foregoing is meant to suggest that I haven’t on occasion pushed too hard or too far in my zeal to close a piece of business, but I’ll tell you this: I’m pretty good at forgiving myself for having done so – not the case, rare though it is, when I surrender too easily or, worse, take maybe for an answer.