Sales Management Part Six
Answering Objections & Closing the Sale
Using the 8 step Closing Pattern
(Continuing from last post)
(Continuing from last post)
Step 4: Repeat the Objection, Changing It Slightly
Salesperson: “Just so I’m clear, what you are saying is that while you agree that you like the system and you would give my company the go-ahead to start work as soon as possible, you feel you need a bit of time to talk it over between you two, without me staring at you. Does that about cover it?”
Prospect: “Yes.”
What the salesperson changed was the first part of the original statement. He repeated the objection, but added that the prospects agreed that they liked the system and would buy it as soon as possible once having a “bit” of time to talk it over without the salesperson being present. That statement also assumed that the prospects only needed a few minutes versus hours, days, or weeks, to think it over.
When you hear prospects say they want time—the classic “think it over” objection—how much time do you assume they want? I’ve asked that question all over the country at seminars I’ve conducted, and the answers I get are mixed. Mostly I get the impression that in general; salespeople haven’t thought to ask themselves that question.
Years ago my wife met with a man who said he would help us find government grant money for our son’s college education. I suspected the man was selling something but my wife was convinced he wasn’t selling only helping us with a government grant. But given he insisted we both be present I was convinced he was in fact selling something; probably insurance. I wasn’t happy to see what I knew was a salesperson, probably selling insurance. I felt I had more than enough insurance and didn’t need more. However, my wife had made the appointment, and I was bound to suffer through it.
When he arrived for the scheduled appointment he did a great job warming us up. He spotted our sailing pictures, and from those photos and some well-asked questions, he learned of our love for sailing. After that crucial step I liked him and was more open to hearing what he had to say. When he launched into his presentation, and it became clear that indeed he was selling insurance, I wasn’t concerned. My wife, however, now realized that I had been right—he was selling insurance—and she thought she knew my feelings about that since we had discussed it earlier that day.
From that point forward my wife assumed I wanted no part of what this guy had to sell, so she dutifully listened to his presentation. She knew that at the end, she would simply tell the man we wanted to think it over, he would leave, and that would be the end of it. However, as I listened to what he said, I was sold. While it was true that a large component of his plan was to sell me more insurance, the whole package kind of made sense for our youngest son’s college education, which all of this was aimed at.
So picture the situation. My wife was half listening, knowing I had made it clear before he arrived that I was against buying more insurance. In fact, we made a pact before the salesperson arrived: if it turned out I was right, that he was selling insurance, we would get rid of the salesperson by saying we wanted to think it over. So while my mind was changing, my wife didn’t know that, and she had resigned herself to telling the salesperson the lie we agreed to.
However, as the presentation came to an end, the salesperson asked the most unbelievable closing question I’ve ever heard. In fact, because it was so unbelievable, I was stunned into silence. The closing question was, “Do you folks want to take a couple of weeks to think about all of this?”
He said a couple of weeks? Being married to someone who is an author of sales books, a sales management executive, and a sales trainer, my wife knows all the sales steps and all the closes. She’s heard me talk about them in seminars, and since she had helped me with my audio closing CD, she heard me talk about what to say so many times she could recite it in her sleep. So when the salesperson said what he did, she was also shocked. And she knew me well enough to understand that even if he was selling gold bars for the price of chewing gum, I wouldn’t buy anything from him after he committed such an incredible sales crime.
Obviously, this salesperson had come to the conclusion that everyone needed time to think about a decision, and in fact, needed at least two weeks. The fact is, had he asked the most basic closing question like, “So what do you think?” My wife would have jumped in, and said we needed time to think about it. And if the salesperson had been smart enough to perhaps assume we needed only a few minutes, and suggested as much, I would have told my wife I had changed my mind, and we would have bought the insurance policy. But he didn’t and we didn’t either. The sale never happened.
Take my advice, and first assume your prospect only needs a few minutes.
This then leads you to the next step which we will cover in the next months posting.
Would you like to hear Lou Answer the common salespeople in the security industry face every day in a role playing environment?
Here is how you can.
Order Lou’s New CD – Handling Objections & Closing the Sale
Also a Great tool for Salespeople is Lou’s new E-Book entitled:
Selling Security Systems Like a Pro
In this NEW E-Book Lou teaches salespeople how to prospect, present themselves, your company, the problem, the survey, the investment, and how to answer commonly heard objections. Lou share’s 12 Powerful Closes sure to help salespeople close more sales. The E-Book is available NOW! And the best part is the investment; only $29.99. Wow! How can you beat that? To order go to www.lousepulveda.com.
Lou Sepulveda Consulting & Training
985-778-1571
Book Titles by Lou
· How to Manage a Security Sales Organization – NEW (E-book only)
· Selling Security Systems Like a Pro – NEW (E-book only)
· Gerencia de Ventas Efectiva - NEW (E-book only)
· The Formula for Selling Alarm Systems
· Surviving in the Security Alarm Business
· Managing to Sell
· Gerencia de Ventas Efectia
Note: If you would like to read previous Blogs go to http://lousepulveda.blogspot.com
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