How to Cope with a "Rude" Prospect

There's no question that rudeness is on the rise. And no question that a fair amount of that rudeness gets directed at sales pros. Even so, rudeness isn't always always what it seems. Take, for example, the following email from a Sales Machine reader:

I sell remodeling services and I am trying to break into the office/professional building specialty remodeling business.
I recently went to a budget meeting with a new prospective client. During my presentation, the key decision maker kept looking at his blackberry reading and sending text messages. He also excused himself from the meeting, twice, to make and take a cell phone call, leaving me at the table with subordinates.
When he returned, I asked him if we should reschedule the meeting to a time when there were fewer interruptions. He got offended and remained quiet throughout the remainder of the hour. He behaved childlike and offended that I would ask such a question.
I felt it was my place to gain control of the meeting and the environment. We ended the meeting with no sale being made and no handshake when I left. This is not the first time I have experienced "Blackberry competition". It seems to be more common everyday. I leave mine in the car during a meeting.
What are your thoughts?

Let's talk about the rudeness first. Yes, it's rude for people to be using blackberries during meetings. Ditto for answering emails, reading snail mail, playing cards, talking, flirting, and any number of rude behaviors that go on in the real world.

Also, you're smart (and polite) to leave your own blackberry in your car. Best not to be tempted, eh?

That being said, the world is as it is, and the simple truth is that you're competing with the blackberry for the prospect's attention. This means that, if you're giving a presentation, you need to be more entertaining than the text that the key decision-maker is getting from his mistress.

The mere fact that the decision-maker had the time to take a call shows that you were, in his view, wasting his time. He clearly felt that what you had to say wasn't all that important. Then you compounded the situation by asking whether you should come back for another visit and bore him some more.

Sheesh! No wonder he was hostile.

My suggestion to you is not to take control of the meeting, but to take control of your sales process and adapt it more closely to the customer's buying process. Then make sure that your presentations to decision-makers are interesting and brief.

Do that, and you won't have problems with wandering attention from your prospects.

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