SALES: Why a “NO” is Better Than a “MAYBE”!

Top Salespeople Go for the No!

By Hal Alpiar
© 2009 http://halalpiar.com

It really doesn’t matter who, when, where, why, or how you sell whatever you’re selling, it’s ALWAYS better to get an answer from your prospect that’s definite, even if the answer is “NO”!

It matters not whether you’re selling a hybrid vehicle, a railroad carload of ketchup packets, a truck full of bananas, a knock-off Rolex, a mixed case of old vinyl records, computer programming services, Burger King’s new body spray, the Brooklyn Bridge, a new SKYPE app, a seat in the U.S. Senate, a sponsorship on HARO.com, or your favorite sister.

When your prospect says “Maybe,” you’re in more trouble than old-time TV entertainer Tennessee Ernie Ford used to describe as “a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs!” Oh, you might say, but ”Maybe” leaves the door open, and it’s halfway to “Yes.”

Well, bless you for the optimism, but reality is that it’s also halfway to “No.”

More importantly (and here’s the hard-nosed truth): “Maybe” means that you are now going to embark on a journey of expending untold amounts of time, money, and energy to try to push the “Maybe” over the edge into “Yesdom.”

Sure, the swing point could be just around the corner, but odds are that —if there’s a “Yes” at all in the future to begin with— it may be light-years away. And even if it’s just a matter of weeks, converting a “Maybe” to a “Yes” is simply not worthy of such exhaustive blind pursuit!

The bottom line: If you’re serious about sales, your time is too valuable!

Yes, you say, but you don’t understand, you say . . .THIS prospect is a friend of a friend (or the family), who seems to like me and says she will make a decision soon, and when she buys in, it will open a whole new territory, you say . . . so, you say, you need to stay on top of it and see it through to the end!

Good luck, I say! Reality is that for you to “stay on top of it” means you will be missing the boat on other “Yes’s.” Accountants call it “Opportunity Loss.” Look at the flip side of the coin. If you push the “Maybe” a little and still get a “Maybe” it just might be worth giving an extra push to see if you can tip the scale into a more definite response. If you can get a “NO” out of it, you win!

Why do you win if you lose the sale? Because a “NO” means you can drop the effort and move on to make better use of your time, money and energy. If you were intent on a long-term relationship, how long would you tolerate a “Maybe” from a serious dating partner?

It’s probably also worth noting here that real sales pros see a “No” as a “Yes” because it opens the door to ask something like the following: “Okay, well now that we’ve established that you’re not interested, do you mind if I ask you for the real reason for your decision?” The response will inevitably blame one particular reason, which then tells the salesperson what to zero in on, eliminating all other sales pitch issues. (“Ah, well now that I know it’s just the warranty that’s bothering you, let me see what I can work out for you.”)

Sure, there are movies about special people living for years with indecisive “Maybes,” but: A) That’s neurotic Hollywood living in fantasyland, and B) This is your livelihood we’re talking about. Why? You may ask, adding “I’m not in sales.” The truth though is that you ARE in sales! Every encounter every day with every other person involves sales! Is there not ALWAYS some element of persuasion present?

What did the old German Grandfather say? Something that sounded like: “Vee getz too soon olt, und too late schmart!”

GO FOR THE NO!

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About the author:
HAL ALPIAR MBA, President/Creative Director - TheWriterWorks.com, LLC
www.TheWriterWorks.com Office 302.933.0116 Fax 302.934.8901
National Award-Winning Author & Marketer — $1 Billion Client Sales
“Doctorpreneurs” “Corporate Entrepreneurship” “Quiet Marketing”
A Better Business Bureau of Delaware Accredited Business
Visit Hal's daily blog for entrepreneurial business leaders
www.halalpiar.com Follow Hal on LinkedIn, BizBrag
and daily onTwitter @ www.Twitter.com/halalpiar

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2009

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