The single biggest mistake I think salespeople make is overlooking seemingly obvious buying signals. Too many salespeople mistake buying signs for rejections. They think the prospect is saying “no” when really the prospect is saying “Close me, dammit!”
The prospect wants to buy what you sell. That’s why they are engaging in a sales conversation with you. The prospect’s issue is that they are afraid to get sold. You see, everyone loves buying sh*t. We buy sh*t every day of our lives. We are programmed that buying sh*t is how this sh*t works. No one likes to be sold sh*t .
You see, “being sold” has a negative connotation these days. It implies you were convinced against your will, or that you overpaid. Saying you sold someone something can be taken very negatively. No one wants to be sold. Remember, though, everyone loves buying sh*t.
It’s your job to make the prospect want to buy from you, not to “sell” them.
Oftentimes, the salesperson is too busy inside their own head to recognize the buying signs the prospect is giving them. So many salespeople focus on selling and overlook the obvious nod toward buying the prospect gives off. Matter of fact, the sales tactics you see in the movies aren’t the best. The best salespeople know how to entice a prospect into buying so they never feel “sold.”
Sometimes, the buying signs the prospect is giving off are loud and clear but have gotten overlooked. Salespeople spend their time trying to talk over prospects and getting their pitch across. But a master salesperson knows how to listen for buying signs and work toward the close.
In my career in sales and as a sales trainer, I’ve seen a lot of salespeople overlook some pretty obvious buying signs. I’ve got three dead giveaway signs you need to look for in every prospect you come into contact with. If you get any of these signals, they are not rejections; they are buying signs.
1. The prospect asks questions: If the prospect is asking you questions, no matter what those questions are, they want what you sell. Even if they are asking you about things like being overpriced or negative reviews online, they are still asking. If they were 100 percent certain about the answers, they wouldn’t need to ask. They would already know.
I’ve seen a lot of salespeople fall victim to questions. When the prospect starts asking tough questions, the average salesperson will take them as rejections and give up. When all along, the prospect only wanted two things. They wanted clarity so they could make a decision and they wanted to see how much you believe in what you sell. Yet, most salespeople fail this test.
2. The prospect wants to shop around: Most salespeople fold when they get the “shop around” objection. When in reality, this is the time to go all in. If the prospect wants to shop around, that means they are for sure buying, they just don’t know who they are buying from. Think about it, the prospect isn’t going to waste their time shopping around for something they don’t plan on buying. They’re going to buy from someone. You need to do your part to make sure it’s you.
In all my years, I’ve found that brutal honesty closes sales. I ask the questions and say the things other salespeople don’t. In this case, when they say they want to shop around, you need to simply ask “why?” If you’ll simply ask why, and shut the hell up, you’ll usually get a pretty straight forward response. In most cases, something like price, availability, and/or timing are the issues. These are also things salespeople often have control over.
Make them the offer that keeps them from shopping.
Closing the prospect does them a favor. It saves them time and energy from shopping around.
3. The prospect gives an objection: I’m a firm believe that as long as the prospect hasn’t said “no” they are still interested in buying. I’ve been around long enough to know getting a human to make a decision is one of the hardest things to do. Especially after a person’s mind is made up. In my opinion, objections are just stall tactics to keep a person from making a decision. Once a decision is made, the prospect has to stick by it. So, they fear the commitment.
Objections are not rejections. They are buying signals.
Objections are people’s way of saying, “I’m digging what you have, I’m just not 100 percent convinced I should be buying it. Tell me more.” Instead, most salespeople look at rejections as if they are strong “NOs.” Next time you hear an objection, get excited about it. An objection is not a “NO” and every objection you handle means you’re one step closer to the close. The second you let off the gas, you lose the sale.
The first step to recovery is to be aware and the second is acceptance. I’ve now made you aware of buying signals you would most likely overlook. It’s your job to accept responsibility and start closing over these dead giveaways instead of losing sales to them. If you know what you sell is the right thing for your prospect, you owe it to them to close them. Closing them is a favor. You do them a solid when you entice them to buy your sh*t.
