When was the last time your sales call ended in a “No”? Before you answer, think about it very carefully because most sales calls don’t end in “No”. Most sales calls end in no decision.
I attended an opportunity meeting for a network-marketed product last night. After the presentation and questions, the host simply asked, “Who wants to get started?” While no one did, I smiled when he asked because I knew we were coming to a conclusion.
No decision endings frustrate you and your prospect. You continue to mistakenly believe that someday your prospect will say, “Yes”. Your prospect continues to dread running into you because you can’t bring yourself to help him or her make a decision. And the cycle continues.
Your goal as a sales professional is to get to a decision. While you want that decision to be “Yes” for your product or service, “No” can be just as valuable. Think about the countless calls you have made on a prospect who eventually said “No” and the time and effort you wasted. Getting to “No” can be a time and money saver. There are three reasons why salespeople fail to get decisions from their prospects.
1. They don’t have a plan. Simply put they don’t plan to ask for the business so they never do. This happens most often. Salespeople get so wrapped up in the presentation, the product or service, the objections, the questions, and the discussion that they fail to plan to ask for the business. The salesperson gets sidetracked and never finds the close. It’s nearly impossible to arrive at a destination that you haven’t planned to.
2. They don’t believe in what they are selling. This is an alarming fact. If you believe in what you are selling, if you truly feel that what you have will improve the lives of your prospects and customers; why wouldn’t you ask for the business? You would be doing your prospect a favor. Everyone likes to do favors for others. Yes, if you don’t ask for the business you probably don’t believe in the value of your product or service.
3. They just don’t have the stomach for another “No”. This reason is a part of the previous two. Salespeople begin to believe they will get a “No” so they just don’t ask for the business. They mistakenly believe that no decision is better than a “No”.
Closing is a must in sales. Here’s some help if you have been avoiding “No”. Determine how many prospect you called on last month. Then divide the number prospects you called on into the total number of sales or commissions you earned. For example, if you called on 100 prospects last month and made $5000.00 in commissions, you would find that each prospect call you made was worth $50.00 regardless of outcome. Each “Yes” and each “No” was worth $50.00. When each call is worth $50.00 you no longer have to fear the result. At the end of each call you will say to yourself, “Thank you for the $50.00!”
Now when you make a sales call you know it will be profitable. Getting to an answer is all you really want to do. Remember, if you have to go back to the same prospect to get an answer, you have cost yourself $25.00. That’s because each prospect is worth $50.00. If it takes you five calls to get to an answer with one prospect, you have made each call worth $10.00. That’s not a very good return on investment.
“But if I get a no from a prospect it’s over, isn’t it?” Not really. “No” doesn’t mean “never”, it just means “not now”. And besides, some of your prospects will gladly say yes if you’ll just show them how confident you are in your product or service by asking for the business. You’ll get better at it too! Try this technique and let me know how it works for you. The worst thing is not knowing. Get a decision.