We all fear rejection. It’s painful. So most of us would do anything to avoid it.
But this fear also stops us from being as successful as we could be. Especially if selling for a living.
The fear of rejection stops us from asking prospects for a commitment to move forward.
Doesn’t have to be for the sale, just the next step in the process, but we don’t do it.
Instead we go around in circles hoping the prospect will lead us, and place an order.
If this is you, I have news for you. It almost never happens. Rather, your prospects get frustrated. They see the value in what you’re offering, but are confused as to how to proceed.
I’ll admit I was as guilty of this as anyone.
Early in my corporate sales career I frustrated the heck out of many of my prospects.
We’d have meeting after meeting. I’d find out all about them, what their issues were. Where they wanted to get to. Even how our solution would help.
But I never segued from a “general” conversation into presenting the solution and gaining commitment.
So I’d get comments like, “Rashid, we’ve met a number of times. Where do we go from here?”
I’d reply with, “Where would you like to go?”
“Well, you tell me!”, they’d reply.
Having worked with hundreds of business owners over the last 16 years, I can tell you this is a very common scenario, especially amongst “professionals”.
Most professionals (Financial Planners, Accountants, Lawyers etc.) feel uncomfortable “selling”.
They sit in initial (often free) meetings, ask questions, often give advice (possibly too much), but don’t have an effective way of seguing into presenting their services and getting commitment to get paid.
So if you’re good at delving into their issues but have trouble moving into presenting your services, realise you need to first embody a core belief or mindset.
If you can help them, you have a duty to recommend an appropriate course of action which will help them get their outcomes.
Anything else and you’re doing them and you a disservice.
Your role is to lead. We’re not talking high pressure sales tactics here, but gentle, firm guidance.
Start as you mean to go on.
Frame the meeting this way.
“In our time together I’d like to accomplish 3 things…
Find out more about you, your current circumstances, what you’d like to achieve and the challenges in your way.
Then I’ll tell you a little about myself
And finally, I’ll discuss how our services could help you.”
Doing this sets up the expectation in your prospect’s mind that you will present a solution at the end. And it makes it easy for you to transition into talking about presenting your services and the next steps.
If you’re not closing business with prospects who you feel could use your services, call us for some specialised sales coaching. Small tweaks in your process could make a major difference in your results.
