Techniques for Getting to “Yes”
By James Maduk

For many businesses, new prospects are becoming harder to find, and current ones tell you "I'll have to think it over" or "I'll get back to you in a week or two." It's those kinds of responses that often lead business owners to ask me "How do I handle that?" That question is part of the problem.

Many people mistakenly identify these customer responses as objections, things that are traditionally "handled." These responses are in fact a "stall" in the sales process and not an objection at all. Things will only get worse with your prospect if you try to "handle" this customer feedback using a traditional objection-handling approach.

So what's the difference between a stall and an objection, and how do you move the sale forward? An objection is really the customer requesting more information or clarification on something you may have already provided to them. A stall in the sales process happens when the customer isn't really interested in what you have to say. It's the polite way for a customer to say "I don't think you can help me" or "I don't want what you're selling." A stall means that you haven't found a problem the customer wants to fix. Your role as a salesperson or a marketer is to find out what the customer isn't satisfied with in their environment. When a customer recognizes that what they have today isn't good enough, you'll have their interest.

To reduce the chance of a prospect telling you they want to "think it over," create a series of "interest statements" that focus the prospect's attention on a problem you can solve.

State a logical benefit. This answers the question "So what?" Let the customer know what the fact or feature does. You don't have to be fancy or persuasive at this point; just tell them an advantage they will experience if they use your product .Tie their problem to your solution. What does this really mean to them? Let them know they can expect some real benefits by finding out more. This is the part of the interest step that makes your product or service personal. It answers the question "What's in it for me?"

Make it real--give an example. Do you believe everything you hear? Of course not! To build credibility into your claims, give a relevant example. Is there a past customer who has benefited from your offering? What results did they experience? A recognized third-party reference is a great way to build trust into any sales call.

Do your homework. Make up five to 10 interest statements, and commit them to memory. Before your next sales call, research the customer, their industry and their market. Make a quick list of the potential problem areas, and design some interest statements that give them a reason to continue the sales call.

Here's what a completed interest statement looks like: "We can reduce the time it takes to complete your payroll each week by 20 percent because our online payroll calculator allows you to calculate a pay statement quickly and accurately using the most up-to-date federal and state tax regulations. The tax tables are always current and accurate no matter what part of the country you are located in. What this means to you is increased productivity and reduced costs for your payroll department. Some of our other clients, like XYZ Co., have already seen savings just like this."

The most common mistake I see with most sales calls is jumping into the presentation without first having the prospect deeply interested in hearing what it is you have to say. Without an interest statement, anything you say goes in one ear and out the other.

James Maduk is one of America's leading sales speakers. He is the creator of more than 80 streaming sales training courses and has just released his latest book, When Salespeople Learn to Dance. View his Web site at www.jamesmaduk.com