7 Ways
to Get to the Truth: When the Sale "Disappears"
by: Ari Galper
You're close, really close,
to making a sale. Your potential client is in the market for
your product or service and you've had a couple of good meetings.
Based on his most recent e-mail,
"Everything looks good -- I'll get back to you so we can
move this forward"--everything points to a probable sale.
You feel so relaxed, happy, and hopeful. Then a couple of days
go by with no phone call or e-mail. You tell yourself, "He's
probably busy. I know he'll get in touch tomorrow." But
tomorrow comes and goes with no word.
You start to panic. Your self-talk
turns negative: "I can't believe this...This is really
starting to hurt...He let me believe it was a sure thing...I
trusted him...now he's disappeared on me, and I was counting
on this sale..." The relaxed, happy feeling is gone. You've
fallen victim to "hopeium " again.
Have you been in this situation
before?
Of course you have--we all have,
and it's painful. So, can you keep from getting dropped? Yes--With
the new mindset, you can abandon the salesperson role and come
from a place of integrity that stems directly from your personal
brand that doesn't compromise your authentic self. This opens
communication with your potential clients so you can learn the
truth about their situation--and that's what you always want.
These suggestions will help:
* Don't assume the sale. Potential
clients are used to the traditional buyer-seller relationship,
so they may decide not to tell you things that might make them
vulnerable to you. Until you're sure you know the complete truth,
you can never assume the sale.
* Keep making it easy for potential
clients to tell you their truth. Toward the end of your conversation,
ask, "Do you have any more questions?" If potential
clients say no, follow up with the 100-percent-final truth-gathering
question: "Now, are you 100 percent sure that there's nothing
else that I can do on my end to make you feel more comfortable
with this situation?" You'll be amazed how often people
then say, "Well, actually, there is one more issue..."
And it's at that point that you really start to hear their truth.
* Call back to get the truth,
not close the sale. Most potential clients who suddenly "disappear"
will be expecting you chase them down by calling them and saying,
"Hi, I was just wondering where things are at?" Instead,
eliminate all sales pressure by telling them that you're okay
with their decision not to move forward, based on their not
having called you back. In other words, take a step backward.
Most of the time, it'll open the door to a new level of open,
trusting communication.
* Reassure potential clients
that you can handle a "no." Of course we'd rather
not hear a "no." But the only way to free yourself
and your clients from subtle sales pressures is to let them
know that it's not about the sale but about the best choice
for them--and if that means no sale, it's okay, because it's
ultimately not about you but about them.
* Ask for feedback. Whenever
potential clients "disappear," call them back (e-mail
them if you have to, but only as a last resort because dialogue
is always better) and simply ask, "Would you please share
your feedback with me as to how I can improve for next time?
Now that our sales process is over, I'm committed to understanding
where I went wrong." This is not being feeble or weak --
it's being humble, which often triggers the truth.
* Don't try to "close"
a sale. If your intuition tells you that the sales process isn't
going in the direction it should be going - which is always
toward greater trust and truth--trust those feeling. Then, make
it safe for potential clients to tell you where they stand.
It's simple--all you have to say is, "Where do you think
we should go from here?" (But be prepared: you might not
want to hear the truth of how they're feeling. You can cope
with this by keeping your larger goal in mind, which is always
to establish that the two of you have a "fit.")
* Give yourself the last word.
Eliminate the anxiety of waiting for the final calls that will
tell you whether the sale is going to happen--instead, schedule
a time for getting back to each other. This eliminates chasing.
Simply suggest, "Can we plan to get back to each other
on a day and at a time that works for you--not to close the
sale, but to simply bring closure regardless of what you decide.
I'm okay either way, and that'll save us from having to chase
each other."
You'll find that these suggestions
make selling much less painful because you learn to focus on
the truth instead of the sale.
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About The Author:
Ari Galper is the founder
of Unlock The Game™, the only selling program that completely
eliminates pressure from the selling process. His Unlock The
Game™ Sales Program has helped thousands of entrepenuers and
sales professionals worldwide. Visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
to take a Free Test Drive! |
