"Let's just finish this tomorrow",
right out of the prospect's Hit List.
This little gem of a smokescreen;
if not handled quickly and with care,
will lose you many a deal.
I have seen far too many sales people fall flat on their face,
not being able to handle this quickly.
If you honestly believe the client will contact contact you tomorrow, to finish the transaction,
I'm not sure what fairy tale world you live in.
The one thing I can tell you, is that tomorrow will never come.
You will be chasing this client
by phone, email or text,
LITERALLY BEGGING
them to do business with you.
I don't know about you; but I personally do not enjoy, being placed in a position like that.
Especially, a position that I have control over,
and one that is preventable.
When I witness salespeople do this,
they usually only convert about 5% to 10%
of these presentations into a sale.
You ain't makin' any money
with closing percentages like that.
By allowing the customer this out;
the salesperson has actually invited into the sale,
the 3 cousins of:
wavering, vacillation and procrastination.
Now the potential sale is lost.
TIME KILLS ALL DEALS.
Always remember this....
"It's getting late, we have been here for awhile,
let's just finish this tomorrow."
IS NOT AN OBJECTION.
It is a put-off line, a smokescreen, a stall line,
that masquerades itself as an objection.
However, there's no objection being handled.
We as salespeople need to get it through our thick heads,
that the customer is simply telling you this,
"I'm not 100% sure that this is actually what I want to do."
Once you have figured this out, the handling of this masquerade, becomes much easier to see through.
Don't be afraid of this,
you actually want smokescreens like this to come up.
"UH, SKUUZE ME, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY BEAR?"
Listen, you actually do want this to happen.
By identifying the real reason
the customer is showing hesitation,
you have helped them lower
their level of anxiety about the sale.
As you reassure them, they will realize
that they are in capable, competent hands.
You are also showing, that you are proficiently adept,
to handle what needs to be done.
They just want to have a level of confidence,
that they are making the correct choice,
in dealing with you and your company.
It is your job to create that certainty.
It literally will make your deal stronger.
So enough talk.
For this exercise let's use our old friend,
Joe the Camel Merchant.
Here is the scene:
Mr. Camel Merchant has found the perfect camel for his customers. He has presented Mr. and Mrs. Customer with the offer, handled their objections, and then this happens...
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Joe, thanks for getting those numbers together for us."
"We appreciate your help with this, but we've been at this awhile, and it's really gettin' late." "Let's just circle back to this tomorrow."
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"Guys, I get that, we have been here for a bit." "I know that if you are like me, time is valuable." "We only get a certain amount of time to take care of what we need to do, within a given day."
"You agree with that, right?"
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Yes, and like we said, it's getting late,
and the kids are getting tired."
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"Look, you guys have already done all the hard stuff; like taking the camel you wanted for a test ride, found the right size humps you need for the child saddles and everything else." "You guys having to drag the kids back here tomorrow, riding in the hot sun, would take unnecessary time out of your day."
"We are 95% done here." "I'll have you guys out of here in the next 20 minutes, so tomorrow you don't have to ride an hour and half just to get back, and take more time out of another day." "Sound good?"
If Mr. and Mrs. Customer say OK, it's time
for Joe Camel Merchant to get the customers into finance.
Usually however, when this smokescreen comes up,
a little more work is required.
Normally this is what happens...
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"I appreciate what your saying Joe;
but like I said, it's late, and we've got to get going."
"I'll reach out to you tomorrow."
Joe Camel Merchant must collect himself
and handle this masquerade of an objection,
in the calmest of ways.
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"Guys, I've been doing this for some time." "When people say something like this to me; what I've always found out to be the issue, is that there is something about the proposal that is making them feel somewhat hesitant." "Am I right here?"
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Yeah, you're right."
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"What about the proposal, concerns you guys?"
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Well Joe, it's the payments, I'm not sure if we can afford it."
"I get what you showed us; but those payments are too much."
"That's quite a few more shekels than
we are paying right now per month."
"We just don't have it in the budget to buy this camel."
Note: in this example,
Joe the Camel Merchant, has already gone
over the payments, and
the justification for the payments,
with Mr. and Mrs. Customer.
It just needs to be reiterated to them
one more time, so they truly get it.
So he pulls out his worksheet again, and says...
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"Guys, this is entirely on me." I don't think that I really explained well enough to you, that by purchasing this new camel today, with these monthly payments, you are actually saving money." "Once again, I apologize."
"Mr. and Mrs. Customer, remember what I just showed you here about the monthly payments?" "That since your current camel is out of warranty; if anything happens to the camel, the repairs are on you?"
Joe points to the area on the worksheet
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Yes."
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"So if the average is $1,200.00 shekels per year on repairs, that's $100 shekels per month average, right?" "With the warranty on this model, it's covered, no shekels out of pocket." "That's money saved."
"Also, these older models eat quite a bit more hay and grain than newer model camels." "About twice as much on average." "You guys currently are at $50 shekels per week now." "With these newer models, people normally spend on average $25 shekels per week." "Again, that's more money saved."
Again, Joe points to the area on his worksheet
"So, if sticking to your budget is your concern; as it should be, when you add the monthly payments for the new camel, together with the ownership costs, you will be spending on average
about $60 shekels less per month."
"That's real shekels that you could be saving for your kids."
"You guys can see this, right?"
Mr. and Mrs. Customer:
"Yes"
Mr. Camel Merchant:
"Look I get it." "Sometimes making a purchase this big can be just a bit unnerving." "That's why I am here." "I want you guys not only to get this camel from me, but the next 5 camels also." "That's only going to happen, if you are completely satisfied."
"I will be here every step of the way with you."
"Also, make sure that if you have any friends or family members who are in need of a new camel, to give them my name."
"I will personally make sure to give them the same
level of service I am giving to you, OK."
Joe immediately needs to throw out his hand
to shake hands with Mr. and Mrs. Customer
"I'm going to get your camel over to detail, while you meet with this nice woman from camel finance." "I'm excited for you guys." "Who's the first person, your going to show this beast to?"
"She is a beauty."
Does this take some practice, of course it does.
One of my old sales managers always referred to these
as "Course Correction Lines."
You are changing the course of your prospect's
thought patterns, and getting them away
from the 3 cousins of:
wavering, vacillation and procrastination.
Remember this...
If you do not practice what you are learning,
you are allowing the 3 cousins
to determine what your commission checks
are going to look like.
Don't invite those ugly relatives in.
Kick them to the curb.
Da Bear