BLOG HOT PRODUCTS IDEA EXCHANGE LEGAL DEPARTMENT MONEY & TAXES ONLINE BUSINESS SALES & MARKETING FEATURED ARTICLES TRADE SHOW NEWS WORK AT HOME |
NO can be good answer |
No can be the starting point of the biggest sale of your career. Experienced and successful sales professionals know that No should not be confused with Never. No can mean that this is not the right time to ask for the sale. No could mean that you are talking to the wrong person. Turn No on its head when you:
1.) Confirm the role that your product or service can successfully play in the realization of your prospective clients' goals.
2.) Verify who in the organization has the biggest stake in obtaining the solution to achieve those goals; and
3.) Identify who has the authority to approve the purchase of the product or service that can produce the desired outcomes.
You will then be prepared to approach the key influencers and decision-maker, who will become your advocates as you sell the product as it should be sold and win the contract.
Rejection will always be a part of life and it is a challenge. In Mandarin Chinese, the same character represents crisis and opportunity. No can be the gift and catalyst that drives you to raise the level of your game and present your products and services as the obvious choice for the successful resolution of your prospects' goals. Try these tactics the next time that rejection rattles you:
Listen Allow the prospect to tell you how to re-shape, re-position, or even more effectively describe your product or service. Rein in any reflexive defensiveness and make note of the weaknesses that are pointed out to you. Learning how your product or service might not measure up is valuable information that helps you to re-tool and become more competitive.
Analyze Negative feedback is just one person's opinion, the report of a single experience. Nevertheless, be objective about what is revealed to you. Some portion of a negative report may be accurate.
Adjust After you've heard the complaint, thank your prospect for his/her candor. Hearing the truth is always a good thing, even when it hurts. Has the prospect made suggestions that s/he would like to see incorporated? Might any of these be made quickly and inexpensively and potentially broaden your appeal to others?
Re-calibrate Should you agree that revisions might be made in your products or services, operations protocols, sales distribution, or quality control, speak with other trusted clients before making any major changes.
Solopreneur consultants, entrepreneurs and sales professionals will intermittently face rejection for the entirety of our careers. In order to withstand the ongoing challenges, we must believe in ourselves, in our abilities and in our products and services and have faith that the word No can open doors and close sales |