When your prospect says “No” to your offer, that is not the end of your selling efforts. When your prospect says “No” to your offer, that is just the beginning of your selling efforts. Your sales job is just getting underway. But now, to take your selling efforts to the next level you must learn how to translate the “No” response you just heard into the real reason the prospect hasn’t yet said “Yes”.
The poorly trained sales person will all too often think the “No” response they just received means “No, not ever” and give up their sales efforts with that prospect right then and there without ever knowing if that “No” response really meant “No, not ever” or if it meant “No, not right now”. There is a big difference. With just a little skilful questioning, the well trained sales personal may uncover the real reason behind the “No” response and subsequently create the proper scenario up to ultimately close that prospect rather than walk away in defeat.
In the final analysis, the real reason the prospect said “No” to your request could very well be that you asked for a “Yes” prematurely. In other words, the prospect was not yet ready to say “Yes” to your proposal. When to ask for a “Yes” is always a strategic decision in the sales process. You want to ask for “Yes” only when you are sure you have eliminated all of the reasons the prospect could say “No”. You don’t want any surprises.
It is a pretty sure bet that when you hear the “No” response from your prospect, it doesn’t mean “No, not ever”. It could mean “No, not right now”. But more than likely, when your prospect says “No”, it really means they don’t “K-NO-W” enough yet to say “Yes”. You haven’t done your job. There are still unanswered questions in their mind.
They could be saying; “I don’t k-NO-w who you are”. “I don’t k-NO-w your company”. “I don’t k-NO-w about your industry”. “I don’t k-NO-w if I need your services”. “I don’t k-NO-w if you can help me”.
For a prospect to say “Yes” to your proposal, their comfort level with your proposal must meet or exceed the “No / Yes” threshold in their brain. That threshold is all about the emotional comfort the brain has with saying “Yes” to your proposal. If there is any doubt about your proposal, the required level of comfort is absent in the decision making process and the brain will default to a “No” response.
When you begin working with a new prospect you must assume you are working with a blank piece of paper. You don’t know what they don’t know about you, your company or your product. You must make sure you cover all of the bases.
Next time you hear the “No” response, put your selling efforts in to high gear. You’re just getting started.
