This is about making sales easy and honest. The truth is, while you are likely saying to yourself “that just wasn’t the right customer,” you might be the reason they aren’t buying. Unfortunately, we “un-sell” a lot. We do or say things that take a customer that wants to buy, and we give them doubt. Talk about sabotage. Read below to see if you are making these critical mistakes.
1. You ask them what they want.
Why this doesn’t work: Customers aren’t the experts in the products or services. They don’t know the ins and outs like you do. Therefore, they probably don’t know the best solution for their situation. If they did, you would be out of a job. What often happens is that they tell you what they want to know about, you tell them the information, and they respond with, “let me think about it.”
Instead: Learn about their goals. Learn about their problems. Look into the future. Give the solution that makes sense based on their big picture. They will be grateful. If they say they want something, ask them “why is that so important to you?” Easy question to find out about their true goals.
2. You give them all of the information in the world.
Why this doesn’t work: I call this “Objection Tree Planting.” You bring in information they weren’t even thinking about and now out of the blue they need to “think about it.” Irrelevant information frustrates the customer in a time where we all have short attention spans. Last week the solar guy went on and on about leasing options for my dad and I sat in the other room shaking my head, because I knew my dad only wanted to buy straight out. The solar guy made assumptions based on price and over informed. My dad’s response, “let me think about it.”
Instead: Ask, “what are all the things you want to learn about?” Cover those things. Ask if they are good at each point. They will buy.
3. You talk during the awkward silence.
Why this doesn’t work: You finally had the courage to ask them what they think, or if they want to buy it. Now they are thinking. Instead of letting them think, you start talking. They never get a chance to think, so they tell you “ok, let me think about it and get back to you.”
Instead: After you ask a question, count to 5 silently before saying anything else. Let them think and answer. You will get a much better response and are more likely to be on the same page.
4. You change the tone of voice at the end of your conversation.
Why this doesn’t work: A minute ago, you were so confident about the features and benefits. Now you get to the price and you sweat, say “um” a lot, and stop eye contact. Again, your customer now thinks you don’t think your product is worth it. They are out and politely say, “let me think about it.”
Instead: Memorize your ending like your favorite song. Smile and say “this is the best part” even if it terrifies you. Soon it will be the best part, because they will say yes.
Hopefully you have noticed the trend. When we as salespeople make mistakes, the customers respond with “let me think about it.” When the customer says, “no, this isn’t a good fit for me” that is a positive outcome. “Yes” is obviously the better response. “Let me think about it” means something went wrong. If you are getting “let me think about it” often, you will know you are likely making one of these mistakes. Correct the mistake and you will increase your conversions. Easy, right?
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this post. Contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below on which mistake you can see yourself making. Mine is DEFINITELY talking during awkward silence. I need to get better at that.
Happy Wednesday!
Tasha