Sales is a high-rejection business, so we generally tend to be overly optimistic. When a customer says things like, “I like this a lot”, “This is what I’ve been looking for”, or “I love this stuff”, we automatically believe we’re on the way to a sale. Time for a reality check.
The only time the sale is a done deal is when the check clears the bank. Until then, it can still go backwards. Nothing feels better than hearing the prospect say ‘yes’ to your proposal, and you leave to complete the paperwork and get the wheels in motion. The worse feeling is getting the message that they need to hold off on the decision for a while.
Some buyers can’t or don’t tell you face-to-face that they aren’t prepared to buy at this time, so it’s easier to deliver the bad news in an impersonal way. Or it may be that another decision-maker in the company puts the decision on hold. It can happen and the question is what do you do about it?
Invite them to explore what could stop the sales from happening. Invite them to say ‘No”. Ask them if they are sure they are comfortable with their decision. Most traditionalists would say, “Are you nuts? Why open that can of worms?” However, if your selling system doesn’t allow you to address these possible situations in advance, you’ll be spending a lot of time and emotional energy on them after the bomb explodes.
At the point of “yes”, gently use a third-party story and allow the prospect to reconfirm his/her decision to move ahead. If there is any reluctance, you can deal with it face-to-face. Once you’ve left the office of a reluctant buyer and they decide not to go ahead with the purchase, it gets much more troublesome. You chase, they avoid, and it can get personal.
You might also be interested in: