Thoughtful Thursdays – When “yes” turns into “no”
This unanticipated objection is one that follows a series of positive responses leading you to believe that the order is imminent and then the customer changes their mind.
Today’s thought is about responding to “yes, yes, yes, yes, no.”
The immediate reaction is to start to make the sale again by reinforce the benefits and value. My thought is that you do not have to do this, as it has been done successfully already. That is substantiated by the series of preceding yes’.
The challenge is to find out what happened in the time between receiving the lase “yes” and the latest “no.” Something changed and as a professional sales person it is your responsibility and to you benefit to know what is was. This kind of “no” does not mean “would you please tell me again.”
Here are a few suggestions to consider when presented with this situation.
- Was it an internal or external factor that lead to the change of heart?
- Is there someone else involved in the purchasing process I am not aware of?
- Has the customer had previous bad experiences with similar products?
- Has the customer been shopping around?
- Is there an incumbent supplier with a stronger relationship?
The no is not likely based on price at this point, resist the temptation to bring it into the conversation. If there are other stakeholders in the decision making process, you might have to help your contact close the internal sale. This does not necessarily mean doing it for them, but coaching them through the process.
Good selling,
Richard
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