No is the second best word in sales. The worst is thing is a no preceded by a whole bunch of put-offs. When the prospect gets stuck or goes silent on you the best strategy is to go for a no. the video explains the wording but the strategy is to gently and respectfully suggest to the prospect that since we are not moving forward, they must have decided that it is over and therefore you are closing the file. If you are committed to getting either moving forward or getting a no at this time then you are happy either way. You have one less person who wasn’t going to buy to follow up with or you have moved the prospect forward. The side benefit is that you have a healthier more accurate pipeline. To make the technique work you have to be willing to let go of a prospect you might previously had high hopes for.
Archives for August 2015
Go For a No
Moments of Value
There are brief moments of value in a sales encounter when the prospect realizes that “this makes sense” or “I never thought of that” or “He really understands the issue and therefore might have a solution”. Sometimes it comes on the prospect gradually and sometimes it hits the prospect suddenly. But in either case, the opportunity to provide value originates in the questions you ask the prospect. Sometimes the questions themselves provide the value. It usually only takes a few minutes at most to provide that critical nugget that turns the encounter form a “sales call” to a discussion with a “trusted advisor”. The prospect wants more and the sales happens. Of course there is more to it than that and it might take months to complete the sale but it is that moment of value that makes the difference.
Have a conversation they never had before
From the prospects perspective, most conversations with salespeople sound about the same. Salespeople all ask the same lame questions, they explain why they are the right choice, etc. That’s why prospects don’t look forward to sales calls. You can’t differentiate yourself doing the same things that the competition does. So have a different kind of conversation. Ask tough questions. Focus on them and the issue at hand. Take control of the conversation by what you ask and the topics you bring up rather than a terrific presentation. The prospect will sit up and take notice and see that you (and your product or service) are different.
