Your Prospect Isn't Thinking It Over - Ask For The Business!
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.
Birds Teach Me About Selling
I learned a lot about selling from the birds I tried to feed today
Your product or service must be wanted by a hungry audience.
Your audience wants to enjoy your product or service in surroundings of their choosing.
Your prospects won't become customers if they think the risk is greater than the potential reward.
Some prospects will never take what you give them even if it is perfect for them.
Sometimes your audience isn't hungry.
New Year's Resolutions Are So Last Century!
Today and for the next few weeks you can look most anywhere and find out about New Year's Resolutions. This is the time when we take a good look at the past and plan for a better future. And if you're interested in how to make them, how to keep them, or the purpose or history of New Year's Resolutions, there are literally hundreds of thousands of resources at your disposal. This is not one of them.
This writing serves notice that New Year's Resolutions are passé. New Year's Resolutions were implemented in a time when everyone moved at a much slower pace and change was not as ubiquitous as it is today. Simply put, people looked at New Year's Day as the day when all things could start over, hopefully for the better.
People spent more time in the process of living in days past and they were more dependent on circumstances. Farmers woke before dawn and worked until the sun set and still all their efforts could be thwarted by poor weather or other uncontrollable circumstances. There was no time to plan change nor was there much thought of it. When you were born on a farm you were likely to be a farmer.
Today we can change almost overnight. A young boy born on a farm has the choice to become anything he chooses, including being a farmer. And he can do so quickly. Access to information has provided these options.
But options are what often keep us stymied. We have so many choices in life we often find ourselves as kids in the candy store. Mesmerized by the wonderful choices, we stand still and look up 365 days later only to find we didn't even reach for one. We never chose because the choices were too great.
Unfortunately time chooses for us. Just as our parents would soon whisk us out of the candy store without our favorite candy, time pushes us to a new year without our having chosen how we wish to spend it.
We fail to choose what we want for our lives because there are too many choices. We see what we want but quickly see something else, only to be distracted again. In the end we become confused and a confused mind does nothing.
Which brings us back to why New Year's Resolutions are so last century. Today we move at such a rapid pace and we are faced with so many options, we must resolve and choose more strategically. This means we must resolve regularly. A year is too long a time to wait.
And besides, we are exposed to so much each day that what we think we want for our lives this year on January 1 may become obsolete by January 15th. Of course our desire may wane as well. It's best to keep things short-term.
This year, resolve to choose monthly, weekly, or even daily goals to achieve. Long-term goals have their place and should be a part of the destination of your short-term goals, but don't be so locked into them that you find them obsolete before you even get started. Just because everyone else recognizes January 1 as New Year's Day doesn't mean it is the only day to start anew. A new year for you can begin any day.