Psychological Sales - The 6 Most Effective Deal Closers

HE SAYS NO (AND HE WON’T EXPLAIN WHY HE SAID NO)

a. accept the no graciously - shake [Note 1] hands

b. ask “Did I do something to offend you personally [Note 2] ?” If you do get the explanation, go to scenario #5. If you still don’t get an explanation, shake hands again.

c. ask, “Bob, just out of curiosity, what is it you are saying no to?

Are you saying ‘no’ to being more productive with less costs?

Are you saying no to saving a lot of money because you won’t need to hire additional programmers? Are you saying no to that?

If he answers ‘no’ to either of these, it’s a [Note 3] double negative meaning he’s actually saying ‘yes’). If you still don’t get an explanation, make small talk, stay friends and leave the conversation. Do not “push”. You can’t build a long term client if you piss him off the first time you meet. You’ll call him again in the near future.

You already have his email address. Start a campaign to build credibility. You know from your own personal experience that when someone calls you to sell you something – anything - EVEN IF IT’S FREE, you’re inclined to say “no thanks”, right? But when he gets your Newsletter every month or just an email to give him an industry update, the more often he sees your company’s name, your credibility and TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) grows.

[BW1]NOTE: if you’re doing this over the phone, the equivalent of shaking hands is to say, “well Bob, thanks for your time, I appreciate it…” then go quickly to (b)

[BW2]By making it PERSONAL, Bob will react by wanting you to know it wasn’t a personal thing. What you’re hoping is that he says, “oh no it’s not you, it’s just that I don’t like the…” Now you have the objection and you can deal with what he didn’t like with product knowledge and common sense.

[BW3]Use the double negative questions. If you ask a question that requires a ‘yes’, he may feel he’s being lead somewhere he doesn’t want to go. Some people feel like they are being ‘tricked’ into saying yes. Saying ‘no’ to a salesperson is easy and it DOES lead them down the path you want to take them.

Your Prospect Makes a Statement [Note 1] . (not an objection or a question)

Answer a statement with “I understand…..(repeat his statement) A sample statement sounds like, “huh, I hadn’t considered that”. Or, “this is happening so fast”. You respond with…”I understand. It does happen pretty quickly, because it’s so simple”. RECLOSE.

“Bob, which is better for you [Note 2] , would you like me to start on

Monday or wait until the first of the month?

[Note 1] A statement is something he says to buy time to think.

A stall tactic usually sounds like, “Well I don’t know’ followed by a pause.

[Note 2] ALWAYS give them a 'choice'. If you offer a single solution, you're looking for a "yes" or "no" answer. If you offer a choice, you're looking for an "either/or" answer - ''no" is not an option here.

You are asked a Question.

There are two types of questions. The ones that come from doubt or concern, and the simple question that just wants a simple answer, like, “does it come in blue?”.

If it’s a question that comes from doubt or concern, start to answer the question, “Bob, the answer to your question is…” and then, stop, look surprised and say, “I don’t get asked that very often. What made you ask that question?”. Then, you will get a more concise idea of what the real concern is.

If it’s a simple question, always build up your answer by hyping it first, “That’s [Note 1] the best part, I should have told you that sooner!!” RECLOSE.

“Bob, which is better for you [Note 2] , would you like me to start on

Monday or wait until the first of the month?

[BW1]You can have 271 “best parts”. After you’ve said it for the third time, you’ll both be chuckling and THAT means you are ahead of the game because people like to buy from people that make them SMILE!

[BW2]ALWAYS give them a 'choice'. If you offer a single solution, you're looking for a "yes" or "no" answer. If you offer a choice, you're looking for an "either/or" answer - ''no" is not an option here.

You get an Objection.

a. Acknowledge the objection by making a positive statement and repeating the objection word for word. “So it’s not our program [Note 1] - you like the program - it’s just that you don’t like…(repeat the objection). If he agrees, he has just agreed that he likes your program, he just doesn’t like this part. The sales rep is still in a position of strength.

b. Isolate “Bob, is that the only thing keeping you from hiring me today?” (he’ll answer with a “yes” or “I also don’t like…” When he gives you the objection, you repeat it and then ask IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE KEEPING YOU FROM HIRING ME TODAY?

If there is, add it to the list and say OK, SO YOU AREN’T COMFORTABLE WITH (his first objection) AND YOU DON’T LIKE (second objection). IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD KEEP YOU FROM HIRING ME TODAY?

If there is, add it to the list and say OK, SO YOU AREN’T COMFORTABLE WITH (his first objection) AND YOU DON’T LIKE (second objection). AND YOU AREN’T SURE ABOUT (his third objection). IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD KEEP YOU FROM HIRING ME TODAY TODAY?

(repeat and repeat until there are no more objections [Note 2] )

“ Bob, if I can answer those objections in a way that makes sense to you, and you feel that you can benefit by doubling your productivity, would you go ahead and finish the application?”

if yes, answer his question and reclose - Bob, I’ll need some information to open your account.

[Note 1]Your “program” is what you do, how you do it and how often you should schedule working on his books. CALL IT A PROGRAM! It makes it sound like a well-thought-out process.

[Note 2]Once he agrees there are no more objections, THERE ARE NO MORE OBJECTIONS! GET IT??!! Now answer those objections with product knowledge and common sense. Once you’ve rebutted his objections, he can’t give you many more objections – you’ve put him in a box. With no more objections, he has to make a decision. With no more objections, the decision is more likely to be a ‘YES’!

I need to think about it/Non-Decision. This is the big one. Learn this one inside-out.

NOTE:

1. On the phone he promised you a yes or no answer when you called him back. Before you actually started your presentation, you asked him to agree to give you a yes or no at the end. He agreed to the rules of this game. Now he [Note 1] wants to change the rules. But you can’t get mad because that’ll give him a good reason to get mad back at you and maybe even throw you out or disconnect the call! And that doesn’t make it easier to get the sale (and earn your deserved income). So the salesperson has to be the bigger person of the two and accept responsibility for the situation. By accepting responsibility, you become the stronger one.

2. Remember your favourite actor? Here’s your chance to do a convincing job.

“Bob, I owe you an apology. We must have had a miscommunication. When you and I were talking earlier, you promised me you’d tell me yes or no, today, while I was here on the phone with you. And I know you’re a man of your word because you have a great business [Note 2] , so I know it was a misunderstanding [Note 3] . HOWEVER, now I’ve got a problem, and it’s my problem, not yours. You see, I’m responsible for every contact I make after someone says they can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. (act slightly frustrated) Doggone it! Bob, let me ask you something. Just so I can help you get on board and m[BW4] ake a little money myself, , if I could, save you, even more money, and I don’t mean just $10 or $20 - I mean A LOT of money, would you go ahead and give your business to me?

There are only THREE possible responses:

a. yes. Find a way to cut his costs OR PREFERABLY gain more value. Something to entice him. There are people that don’t buy anything unless they get a ‘deal’.

b. no. pack up, make small talk, stay friends, and leave! See 2(c) above

c. how much money are you talking about? Go back to (a) and if that doesn’t work, you say “I don’t know, but I’ll call my boss and see what he can do.

WAIT A MINUTE!! DID YOU CATCH THAT??

TWO of the THREE possible responses (‘yes’ and ‘how much’) are POSITIVE RESPONSES.

YOU HAVE A 66.67% CHANCE OF CLOSING THIS DEAL

RIGHT NOW!!

Salesperson Note:

Due to the fact that some people don’t like making decisions on the spur of the moment, even though they promised over the phone that they would, you’ll get responses like “I’m feeling pressure”…”I don’t like being forced into making a decision”…and similar comments. It is very important that you realise a couple of things.

1. They put themselves in this position by telling you they could and would make a decision at the end of your presentation. You are not surprising them by asking for the decision, they knew you’d want a decision before you started the meeting because you were honest about wanting a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision over the phone.

2. They must obviously like the program/products you’ve shown them because if they didn’t like it, they’d be able to say ‘no’. If they don’t like the meal they are eating or the way their child is behaving, or the colour of a car, you can bet they can say ‘no’, so they must like it and the ‘pressure’ they are feeling is one of ‘do I like it enough to pay this much for it?’, or ‘will my partner/spouse be upset if I make this decision on my own?’.

The easiest way to take the pressure off of them when you hear comments about feeling pressure is to say…

“Bob, there’s no pressure on you. The pressure is all on me. The reason I say this is because my job is to GET TO GET THIS DONE. The reason there’s no pressure on you is because you can still say “no”. RECLOSE!

[Note 1]Do you remember, as a kid, the first time you played Monopoly? It was Beginner’s Luck but you were actually wining, right? And then, suddenly, your brother changed one of the rules thinking he’d get away with it because you wouldn’t know better. Remember how you felt? Like you were being cheated right? Well, the same thing just happened here. Don’t get angry like you did as a kid. Keeping your cool here will make you the winner.

[Note 2]Stop for a moment to consider this wording. When’s the last time you said NO to a salesperson and he called you honourable?

[Note 3]You just kinda, sorta, wanna tweak the guilt factor ever so slightly. Because he knows he didn't keep his word.

[Note 4]Let him know that his indecision means affects you financially. No doubt that up until you say that, he hasn’t considered how it affects you.