At the end of every month, salespeople around the globe complain that their prospects led them on and didn't deliver. Doug F., one of my former bosses used to say this to me all the time.  "Buyers are liars".

While I believe that he didn't mean to accuse all of our clients of being malicious liars, he did mean to say that our prospects may not be giving us all the information that would help us sell the product.

Another former boss, Mike H. believes that salespeople just don't ask the right questions, which is why on the last day of the month, we feel mislead by our prospects...he has a point.

There are many reasons why a prospect would mislead a salesperson.

1.  Some people don't like to say no to you:  Throughout the sales process, the
prospect likes you.  They respect you.  They feel bad saying no.  

For example, I have had prospects who say maybe all the time.  They really don't mean it.  What they are trying to say is "Mike, I really like you, but I am not going to buy your product.  I will, however, say maybe, so you don't feel so bad.  One day, you will give up thinking that I tried my hardest"

I do this all the time too.  I don't want to break it to the furniture salesman who spent a ton of time with me showing me all the couches in his store.  Instead of telling him that I will go elsewhere because the price is cheaper, I tell him that I will call him next week.

How to avoid?

• Always offer a way out:  Tell the prospect that he shouldn't be shy about saying no.  I typically tell people that "unless I get a no, I will
  continue calling.  I can't take a hint."
• If the prospect tells you to call in a week, ask "What is going to change in a week?".  This usually gets the prospect to explain what their process is....or it gets them to re-evaluate the push off.

2.  The buyer has no authority to purchase:  This happens often.  The person that you have been presenting to has no authority to pull the trigger...but they have never told you this.  Sometimes, all it takes is the right questions in the beginning. Questions like

• Are there any other people who need to be involved in this
  process?
• Are you an officer in the company authorized to sign an agreement? The reason I ask is that we just had an instance where the person signing our agreement wasn't authorized, and it caused some headaches. 

3.  The prospect has no money in the budget for your product:  The prospect was very excited to see your product and really believes that it can make a difference.  The reason they cannot pull the trigger is that they don't have money to purchase.

Since you probably don't have a say in how much money the prospect has in their budget, you can help by being clear from the beginning of the costs associated with the purchase.  I have heard many salespeople give general costs of the service at the beginning of the process, only to give a firm price at the end that surprises the buyer.  The buyer doesn't want to seem cheap, and therefore plays as if they are moving forward, when they are in fact not interested. They will find some excuse to not buy, and it won't be the price.

Be clear on the price, show the value of the product and ask for the business.

In Conclusion:  All of this can be solved with an upfront contract.  

An upfront contract allows you to set the ground rules and expectations...see the video below

Everyone has a different upfront contract discussions...but the best ones have an easy out.  My easy out goes like this.

"Billy, if at any time, you feel like we aren't going to do a deal, will you do me a favor and let me know?  The last thing I want to do is bother you and have you avoid picking up the phone.  You can call me or even email me if you like...Does that sound fair?"

I remind them often that they have the right to say no to me.  That way, nobody feels like they don't have to avoid phone calls, and otherwise be nervous.

I also add that if we don't end up doing business "we will all carry on with our lives...we will all survive". That gets a few chuckles and lightens the mood.

Have a great day, a great weekend, and a great August! 

If you found this helpful, please copy the url link above and share it on your favorite social network.

Thanks

​Mike

For a copy of my bestselling book, CLICK HERE

A friend of mine, Stacy Martin once told a new salesperson that sometimes you have to "let the water boil"
-------
Last week, I was on a conference call with a prospect.  He was asking us about our product's capabilities.  He was throwing a lot of tests our way, and we were passing all his tests.

"One more test", he said...

Finally, in desperation Jeremy asked the key question.

"So if we pass this next test, do we have a deal?"

This is a make it or break it line.  The next thing that the prospect says is going to tell us exactly what his intentions are.

1. If  the prospect says yes, we have a deal, right?
2. If the prospect wavers, it would seem that he is not really serious. 

The prospect paused and uncomfortably explained that he would have to get back to us on that.

So we stopped talking.  We waited.  We let the water boil. 

That uncomfortable silence led the prospect to tell us what was really bothering him.  He was concerned about other issues, however he used the tests as a way to justify holding off.  Jeremy and I addressed the other issues, and we are proud to say that we have a new client.

1. Silence is your friend:  Did you ever get that uncomfortable silence in a conversation with a friend, where you are compelled to say anything?  This happens to me all the time.  On a sales call, this is when you can wait out a response by your prospect.  He/she may give you a nugget of information.
   
2. When you are quoting a price to a client, say it as confidently as you would say your phone number...and then wait.  Wait for your prospect to speak.  
3. When (there is no "if") your prospect tells you that your price is too high, don't waver.  In my long sales career, EVERYONE tells me my price is too high, even the ones who eventually buy.  If you believe in your product, stand firm.