It seems counterintuitive to look for a “no” early and often in a sale. Haven’t we always been taught to look for a yes? Well with that said, you ever had a prospect “yes” you to death and then never buy? This is because yes is lazy. While a “yes” is confirming it can offer no detail or context into how the prospect is viewing your services or products. However a “no” can elicit much more.
Looking for “no” early and often is essentially trying to draw out objections. You want these early for several reasons:
1) Promptness: If they are not addressed right away, the prospect might not remember to bring them up and you don’t have the chance to handle the objection. They will however, remember they’re not digging what you’re pitching.
2) Time Management: If you know early what the prospect is thinking you have the ability to determine if this deal is worth your time.
3) Forecasting: The prospect that “yeaps” you to death is sitting in your forecast (and usually for a long time), yet they never buy.
4) Closing Deals: you may find you’re able to provoke more pain and details when you look for no and that helps you ultimately close the deal faster.
Many reps have a hard time with this because no can feel like a punch in the gut. Think of a no as a positive and the opportunity to do all the above. Prospects also won’t anticipate a rep being ok with a no and actually seeking it out. They are used to sales people getting them to “buy in” or confirm with yeses. Here are two great ways to get no early and often:
1) At the end of each product and/or service you explain, ask the prospect a tie down question. This is a question formatted in “How do you see yourself using ________ (insert product/service) to help with ________(insert the problem their trying to solve). You want to ask this at the end of every tool to make sure they are on the same page every step of the way.
2) Ask the prospect to purchase. “Are you ready to get started today?” It’s crucial to include the word today. Otherwise they may say yes but their intent is to start at the end of the year. I love this question because sometimes you do get a yes – great sign them up! Other times I get a no and then I’ve earned the right to ask for more detail. I can find out anything from a hidden competitor, hidden purchasing steps, legal, a fake decision maker, etc. No matter what the answer is to this question I win.
There are times I ask the prospect to buy prematurely and I know they’re not ready. I do this to accelerate the process of finding out what’s left. A bit of it is gut or instinct because I know while they might be yeaping me, if I ask them to buy, even if it’s too soon, that I’ll get the real answer. I’d rather have this than the deal sitting in my forecast for months on end without closing.
While no may seem counterintuitive to a sale, it’s actually quit productive. Don’t be afraid of no, it’s actually a great tool in your tool belt. Get used to it, get comfortable and start seeking it out!
