This week I had a very positive video coaching session with a client. They are looking to take their sales performance to the next level, and I’m helping them to do this. We talked through one example they have of what appeared to be the “perfect prospect”. Yet, despite all my client’s efforts, they can’t get them to sign on the dotted line.
Lookin’ for a Reason
So, we had a great discussion about the 5 main reasons people won’t buy from you, and I thought this would make a good subject for a blog. I’ve expanded on these in more detail in last week’s Saturday Sales email – so if you’d like more in-depth sales content every weekend in your inbox, you can subscribe here: [insert link]
Let’s look at the 5 key reasons prospects aren’t saying “yes”.
They don’t want what you’re offering.
This one is rather more common than many salespeople realise. By default, most of us are polite and kind souls at heart, and we find it quite difficult to “let people down”. The more we know someone, the more difficult it becomes to give them the bad news. Sometimes your prospects don’t want to hurt your feelings!
They have an unspoken concern that it won’t work for them.
In my experience, this is the number one reason why people won’t buy. They are scared of wasting their money (or their boss’s money) on something that won’t do what you say it will.
Some prospects will be upfront with this, but many won’t tell you this is their concern. They are effectively scared that the promises you are making won’t materialise, and that will then become their fault.
This requires some detective work on your part – more on how to do this in this week’s Saturday Sales email.
They don’t believe you!
Sorry to be harsh, but it might be true. Trust and Belief are two of the most important words in sales. Without these, nothing else will follow. It’s also highly unlikely that polite professionals will tell you that they don’t believe you, or that they don’t trust the company you work for as far as they could throw it.
Because of this, handling this particular sales blocker can be the most difficult of all. But as you’ll see, by using some of your emotional sales intelligence, you can flush out whether this is your prospect’s current concern, and how to try and turn that around.
“It costs too much.”
This is the most common objection most salespeople get, including me! From individuals to large corporations, price objections seem to cause most people to either give up or start cutting into the profits (and commissions) to lower the price in the hope of rescuing a sale.
It’s not their decision to make (or they actually can’t afford it).
This one can be wrapped up in the previous objection, but it’s a bit more subtle than that. Sometimes, as salespeople, we can get a little ahead of ourselves in the prospecting process. Having finally got through those gatekeepers to find a person willing to speak to you, even meet with you, can be a big rush.
But in that rush, have we got ourselves in front of the real decision-maker? Or, if we have, is their business able to afford what we’re offering? Neither of these things is going to be easy for our prospect to “come clean” about, and so many salespeople end up wasting even more time trying to handle other objections or set up further meetings when the prospect starts to become evasive or dodges vital steps.
Take a look at this video for tips on how to sell your value over price:
Objection Overruled
Can you think of examples where you had prospects that wouldn’t buy? Which of the categories did they fit into? Most importantly, how long did it take you to recognise this – and did you have the tools to do something about it?
I’d love to hear about your experiences with prospects like this. Are there any other reasons for not buying that I haven’t included in my top 5 that you think should be there?
As always, you can reach out to me on this or any other topic. Get in touch through email via hello@jameswhite.busines or through any of the social networks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube – search for ‘jameswhitesales’.
You can also sign up to my weekly Saturday Sales email where we look into ideas like this in more depth. This Saturday we’ll be covering the best ways to handle the 5 scenarios we’ve spoken about today.
I’m always keen to hear from subscribers about any topics you’d like covered in the blog, emails or on the YouTube channel, so don’t forget to let me have your suggestions too.
I hope you have a great week and I’ll see you again next time.
