How frustrating is it when prospects drag out the sales process? You think you have done a good job presenting your value and then they want more information. So, being the responsive professional you are, you bring them the requested information. Then, they want additional information or they say someone else has to review the information. Again, trying to be as responsive as possible, you bring the new information for that new person, only to be told timing has changed and so it goes – until months have passed and business still has not closed. Not fun or profitable.
Take a Tip from Waiters
Think what your waiter does when you order a drink. Does he dash off to bring you your drink, only to have you say, “Oh, wait a minute. I wanted it on the rocks.”? Does he then
dutifully return with the ice, only to have you say, “And I wanted it with a twist.”? And when he brings the twist of lemon, does he then learn that you actually wanted Johnny Walker Black and not Chivas?
No. A good waiter is proactive. He anticipates and asks questions.
When you give your scotch order, he asks you your preferred brand, if you want your drink up or on the rocks, and with or without a twist. In short, he gets all your preferences in one shot before he makes his trip to the bar to fill your order, saving you both a lot of time and energy in the process.
Be Proactive
Do the same in sales. When someone asks for additional information, ask them what else they will need to make a decision. If they aren’t sure, help them think through their likely needs. Will a demo help? Will talking to other clients help? Will case studies be useful? Other? You have seen what other buyers have needed to make their decision, so help your buyer (and yourself) save time by making these suggestions upfront. (Tip: If you are being sent on an information merry-go-round, at some point you need to say, “What will that additional information tell you that you don’t already know to make your decision?” Some buyers are just information junkies and you need to protect them from themselves.)
Getting the “full order” applies to other factors in sales as well.
- Decision-making: If you suspect others are involved in the buying decision, say, right then, that it is quite common for more than one person to be involved in the decision, who else should you be seeing or when can they arrange a meeting with these other stakeholders? Again, this helps advance your sale more quickly.
- Budgets: If money might be an issue, get their thoughts on cost expectations, the basis for their thinking, and how flexible they would be depending on the solution.
- Resources: If the work involves a lot of people,testing, logistics, etc., test how easy/difficult it will be to work with them by asking their expectations in these areas.
Everyone knows that sales, particularly complex or big ticket sales, take time to close, which is why it is helpful to all parties to minimize wasted time in the process.
Thinking like a waiter saves you that time. As much as possible, get your prospect’s “full order” upfront.
Skal! Salud! Cheers! Successful Selling!
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
Be Sure Your Presentations Don’t “Drag!”
- Do you get nervous before presentations?
- Do you shrivel up before a group?
- Do you lose people with your content?
- Do you get rattled by tough questions?
- Do you want to “command the room?”
If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, give me a call and let’s turn you from a ho-hum presenter into a wow communicator who gets results!
212-876-1875 amiller@annemiller.com