5 Steps to Closing a Sale (part 5)

Tuesday, November 7, 2006 at 02:06pm by Justin Brooke in Presentation

::No Does Not Mean No::

So you’re just about to go into your next sales presentation armed with all these new tools. You know that you should be assuming the sale is going to go through with no doubts as if you already knew the future. When the presentation starts the first thing you are going to do is fire off some questions to establish control and while speaking you are going to use your voice inflection to paint images in the customer’s mind. Finally, you ask for the money without hesitation or suspicion that they might balk.

The customer replies: “Thanks, but I’m not interested.”

Well, hey, you gave it your best shot right? Let’s move onto the next customer maybe your luck will be better next time. NO!!! If you are stopping your sales pitch at this juncture then you are nothing but a storyteller. If you truly want to be a closer then in your mind the word no, is just shorthand for “N-ot enough inf-O”

A lot of people think that this type of sales is shady or unmoral. However, any top sales professional will tell you, being a master closer is impossible if you stop trying to sell your product every time a customer gives a rejection to your product.

If that customer was truly not interested, why did they listen to your whole pitch? Why did they come in to your shop? Why did they visit your website? Why did they fill out that questionnaire that your lead originally came from? This is just a tactic customers use because they are uncomfortable and would rather just bail than get what they came for/ called for/ registered for.

It is your job when they post up that first objection, to find out what it is they are still uncomfortable with. Maybe they don’t know you can discount the price, or that you have other colors, models, upgrades. The objection they give you is usually not the true objection. The true objection is being hidden from you, sometimes even subconsciously, because they know if you find that out you will be able to solve that problem or concern they have. Then they would have to spend that money they worked so hard for all week.

To extract their true objection you’ll have to ask them some probing questions. Here are some great examples:

Me: John, what’s the P.O. # I should use?
John: Justin, I’m really not interested today, thank you though.
Me: I understand just one question before you go, so that I can help the quality assurance department do their job. What did you wish our product could have done for you, that it seemed unable to do?
John: Uhh…I guess the price is a little high for my likings.
Me: OOOH, John if that’s all why didn’t you just say so? I have the power to give you 10% off. How does the price look to you now?

Me: John, what’s the P.O. # I should use?
John: Justin, I’m really not interested today, thank you though.
Me: I understand just one question before you go, so that I can help the quality assurance department do their job. What did you wish our product could have done for you, that it seemed unable to do?
John: I was looking for something a little more industrial.
Me: OOOH, well then you should see product X, I bet that’s more along what you were looking for; come on I’ll show you/ pitch product X without hesitation.

Or maybe John says something like, “I don’t have time for this right now.” I would reply with “oh ok I’m sorry to hear that. See, today is the last day of our 15% off sale.” (quote nearest holiday for reason of sale) What about the most popular one, “I have to talk to my husband/wife/business partner about it first.

Me: Will you be using Visa, Mastercard, or Discover today?
John: Oh no, I’ll have to talk to my wife about this first.
Me: I totally respect that; I would have to run this by the boss as well. (laugh)

Me: {In fact I think it’s best if we all get on the phone, let’s give her a break at work and call her right now. I’m sure she’ll appreciate being in the action, and making the decision together.}

Me: {John, I hear that a lot from people just wanting to blow me off. I’m an easy goin’ guy; talk to me, what’s this product not doing that you would like it to do?}

Another technique that can work is let them go and then call them back in a few hours or the next day early and say “John, did your wife finally give you permission to spend?” This works on both sexes ego and I have pulled in quite a few with this tactic. Also never underestimate the word “why.” So many times I have just replied with that word only, and turned customers around. That specific single word question packs a lot of power.

There are lots of pretty ways to run around an objection and you could find book after book about them. The important part is that you make sure to ask the customer why s/he will not buy and what would have to happen to get him/her to buy. Assume the sale is going to happen no matter what, but expect to have to answer one or two objections to get there.

Remember from past articles that you should be envisioning yourself as a baseball player. The customer objections are curve balls that you just slam out of the park with a quick answer and closing statement.

5 Steps to Closing a Sale:

1. Assuming the Sale
2. Control the Conversation
3. Voice Inflection
4. Ask for the Money
5. No Does not Mean No

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