It’s one of the biggest frustrations in a salesperson’s experience.
You’ve done your research on the buyer and their company…you have uncovered all the possible objections the prospect has in mind…you’ve presented the solutions for their concerns…you’ve even discussed a reduction in price for increased orders.
It’s obvious the prospect is going to say ‘yes’. Isn’t it?
There’s no alternative. Is there?
The solution is right in front of their eyes. Isn’t it?
And yet…
They come out with the age-old deflater, “I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
Yes, this expression can confuse, frustrate and anger you all at the same time.
What on earth is there to think about? You’ve gone though all the benefits.
You’ve highlighted the appropriate product features. Are they just stupid, or what?
Well, you might not understand their reasons for procrastinating or not making decisions, but to the prospect, it’s very real.
They may not be able to justify in words exactly why they are indecisive at that moment, but there are very real reasons why their subconscious reaction is one of fear and anxiety.
What can you do to kill off this indecision in the prospect’s mind to give yourself the best possible chance to get some progress? Here are some suggestions:
1) Don’t present solutions until you are absolutely clear on needs.
Too many salespeople talk about solutions much too early in the process.
This creates dissonance in the prospect’s mind, as they are unsure during the presentation how the solution you are providing will help their situation.
It hasn’t been covered well enough yet.
2) Get the prospect to envisage the better future with your solution.
This ‘better future’ might include higher profits, better productivity, lower wastage, increased turnover, lower staff loss or something similar.
When the prospect is convinced that they need that better future, it creates awareness in their minds of the changes that have to be made to achieve it.
3) Make the changes they have to go through as painless as possible.
So many prospects see change and associate it with pain.
They are indecisive because the ‘pain’ they have to go through to get your stuff outweighs the benefits they will receive from going through it.
If they are going to have to go through change in some way, ensure you explain how easy it’s going to be to achieve it.
4) Highlight the current reality and how it really needs to change…and quickly.
The main reason for procrastination and indecision is because the buyer doesn’t associate enough pain to not changing the status quo.
They are content or even happy with what’s happening and it won’t be worth the effort to make the change. If you help them see the result of NOT changing now, you open up the opportunity for the change to take place sooner rather than later.
5) Show proof that your solution has helped other prospects just like them to improve their business outlook. Imagine seeing a short video of another company in your industry who has benefitted by using the solution that’s being presented to you.
You see how it has helped them overcome difficulties or improved their output.
If you had the same solution, you would see the same results.
Wow, won’t that make you feel that making the decision will be valuable to you?
These five ideas will help you accentuate the benefits of your prospect making the decision now, rather than having to put it on the back burner.
Try highlighting what they will see as a result of making that decision, and you’re very likely to kill off any indecision anxiety for good.
Wade Younger, MBA, CSP
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