A Simple Sales Strategy: Change The Meaning Of "No"
Imagine that you are talking to a potential client and they say
"no", they don't want your service. How does that make you feel?
First off, let's be clear that a "no" is just a two-letter word
consisting of "n" and "o". These are just harmless characters
and yet we attach so much meaning to them and give them so much
power over us. We think a "no" says something about us and that
our services aren't good enough. We attach so much power to a
"no" that it sometimes paralyzes us. We even fear a "no" so much
that we put off, or avoid, having sales conversations as we run
the risk of getting the dreaded "no".
So when could a "no" be a perfectly reasonable response? A "no"
could be the right response when:
* The potential client really has no money. * The potential
client doesn't have a problem you can solve. * The potential
client doesn't want the problem solved now. (If they say, "No,
not now," ensure you have a mechanism to keep in touch with
them. A newsletter is ideal for this.) * The potential client
doesn't want the problem solved at all. * You don't have the
expertise or skills in the areas they need/want.
I hope you can see that all the above are perfectly valid
reasons for someone saying "no". All these reasons say
absolutely nothing about you and your products and services. In
these situations a "no" is the right response or outcome from
the conversation. In fact, in some situations you should say
"no" first. I challenge you to say "no" to potential clients
like this: acknowledge them for their interest but then say that
you cannot help them at this time.
There are also times when you will want to say "no" to a
potential client. If they don't meet the criteria of your ideal
client, you will know in your heart that you will not be able to
offer them your best service. You may decide to say "no" to them
and refer them on.
Not everyone needs to buy from you and that's fine. There are an
abundance of clients out there. Yes? You know this as you have
done the proper research on your target market and the problems
they have. See how important that research was?
Next time you get a "no" welcome it. In fact, play a game and
see how many times you can beat a potential client to saying
"no". A funny thing will start to happen. If you say "no" to
potential clients, they will find you even more attractive.
Contrary really, but then the sales game is full of
contradictions. And that's just one of the many things I love
about it.
Remember that you cannot possibly serve all the potential
clients in your niche but you can serve all of those who are a
perfect fit for you and your business.
(c) Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation, 2005 You are welcome to
"reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) and
all links are made live.