You know when you’re shopping for something of higher value, like a car, and the salesperson just keeps pushing at you towards a deal, eventually you’ll blurt out something like…
Let me just think about it for a day… I’ll get back to you.
At which point both of you KNOW it’s just a polite way of saying no, and it’ll never ever happen.
And both of you also know that it’s another chance for the salesperson to butt in a day later and try to close you again… and maybe they will, maybe the won’t, depending on their skill and your resolve.
photo credit: Belly Acres
The point is… the chance to get a win-win deal is just about gone there, and maybe the chance wasn’t there to begin with, who knows.
HOWEVER… if you’re on the selling end of the equation, this is a situation you should never arrive at.
I’ll tell you why.
That dreaded response ‘Let me just think about it…’ reveals that they really just didn’t understand the offer.
They’re not saying yes, they’re not saying no, and not really arguing the merits of the offer or the product. Maybe throwing in some arbitrary question or doubt, but no real conversation that could end up somewhere.
And that says one thing only: the prospective customer didn’t get enough information.
That’s right, they don’t know enough, they don’t feel enough, they don’t understand enough to make an educated decision that benefits the both of you.
That’s why long form sales letters and long-winded sales videos STILL WORK like nothing else.
Especially when it comes to selling something of a high value – real or perceived, tangible or intangible.
The prospect NEEDS to go through the whole story – why this product, why now, how it relates to their situation, why it’s better than the competition, how it’ll improve their lives starting today… ALL of it.
Because when they get the WHOLE story, they have something to base a decision on. Either it’s targeted to them and it works like a champ, or it’s not and they wouldn’t buy anyway.
Or it’s just not the right time, but they’ll come back when it is, now that they KNOW they want what you’re selling.
But if you’d just left them hanging with a take-it-or-leave-it, both would have walked away with a sinking feeling. And that’s just too much of a shame. You know better. They deserve better.
So the next time you’re offering a new coaching program, a new info product, some new service you’re launching… tell it all. Give them the whole story, because that gives them the ability to make a decision. Then all you need to do is to give that final nudge, if that.
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Show comments Hide commentsHmmm… I will think about that advice ;)…
Or the customer has decided that he or she will definitely not buy whatever is being sold, but doesn’t have the heart to tell the salesperson a clear “no”.
Happens more than you might think.
Or it could be a cultural issues. Good luck getting many folks in Asia to say “no”, no matter how much they hate it.
Yeah, in that case the targeting is clearly off and the exchange shouldn’t be taking place to begin with. On the internet, this problem doesn’t really exist because the solution is just a Back button away.
Of course, I’m not talking about aggressive telemarketing or things like that, where it’s not based on need OR want from the customer’s perspective.
And yes, cultural issues add an interesting layer too… Russians for instance, will say ‘yes, in principle’ to most anything while leaving the interpretation in the air. 🙂
Mmmmm, indeed I have to think about it,
I do think you are right about the idea that ‘Long-winded’
and giving information can be effective. (with both advising people into buying products and for when – as a fly on a window that wants to fly to the light – you are very result oriented, and looking for short term successes to manipulate people into buying.)
‘Only I do think that an other keypoint for
a Salesman is to be a good Communicator’.
For example once I saw a product – that I was already familiar with – that I wanted to buy, and the Salesperson was so involved in giving me his information about the product (wasting my time) that I almost decided
– not – to buy it, because this Robot-salesman was just not Communicating with me with his Monologue.
All the Best,
To your Happy – Home Business – Inspiration,
HP