Posted 08.17.2010

Go for the “no” in sales

Tiny word -- huge impact

By Liz Wendling

How can such a tiny, two letter word have such a huge impact on salespeople? It has been said that the word "NO" is the most destructive force in the world. It keeps people from reaching quotas, achieving goals, and pursuing the life of their dreams.

What if you could change that? What if, the word "NO" did not stop you dead in your tracks and actually became one of your most powerful sales tools? What if, starting today, every time you heard the word "NO" you became STRONGER...more POWERFUL...more RESILIENT?

It is possible if you stop letting the word "NO" derail your life, business and success. How is this possible? Ask yourself:

1. How many potential clients in your sales opportunity pipeline say things like "Let me think about it" and "Call me back in a couple of weeks to check in?"

2. Do you really think these potential clients are SERIOUS?

If you do, you are kidding yourself!

There are many reasons why potential clients may be reluctant to tell you "NO". Here are just a few of them:

• Many clients are nice people who don't like to disappoint others. They think telling you "NO" will disappoint you. So they avoid disappointing you by stringing you along and lying to you. Eventually they ease themselves out of the situation and won't return any of your calls.

• Clients may be unable to come up with the money required to pay for your product or service. Yet they know you have invested a lot of time, energy, and resources in an effort to help them fix specific business problems. They think you will get mad if they tell you the truth. So, they further string you along, lie to you and tell you "maybe" or "let me think about it."

• Clients are afraid that telling you "NO" may cause a confrontation or encourage you to "hard sell" them in a last-ditch effort to salvage the sale. So they string you along and lie to you to avoid getting into an uncomfortable situation.

If a potential client can't or won't buy, a great salesperson wants to know as quickly as possible! If you stop investing your time on customers who can't or won't buy and instead use that time to find and work with truly qualified customers, you will be rewarded with a significant increase in sales!

It always amazes me when people say that salespeople lie, but it seems to be okay for people to continue to lie to salespeople instead of tell them the truth. Salespeople must continue to "go for the "NO" and stop wasting time with customers who would rather string them along instead of giving them a respectful "NO."

If you would like more information on the "Go For No" concept, please visit www.goforno.com .

Liz Wendling, the sales coach for women, believes everyone is in sales. Armed with proven sales strategies that work in this tough economy, Liz helps women business owners (and smart men) create immediate sales results, achieve lasting business success and permanently raise their bottom line. She works with business owners who don't have sales experience as well as those who have sold for years that need a tune-up to communicate more effectively and sell more efficiently. Go to http://www.salescoachforwomen.com or e-mail Liz@salescoachforwomen.com for more information.

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