Get the Stuck Sale Moving

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed the long weekend! Over the next two days sales trainer and author Paul Cherry will share some advice and concrete examples on how to move a stuck sale forward. If you encounter these put-offs while selling (and really, who doesn't?) then you'll be grateful for these tips on how to move past them towards the sale.

"Fence-sitters can take up inordinate amounts of your time and energy, often with little to show at the end," says Cherry. "The problem is some of the best customers are also slow to decide - especially in the relationship's initial stages. So how can you sort out the real opportunities from the dead-enders? Try the following three-step approach to get the sales process moving - or figure out whether it's time for you to move on."

Agree Clarify and Legitimize

First you agree with the prospect, then you ask for clarification, and finally, you ask a question designed to uncover whether there's a legitimate sales opportunity for you. The questions are respectful. The entire process takes only a few minutes, and it can save considerable wheel-spinning - for you and the prospect.

Here's one scenario showing how it works - we'll focus on two more tomorrow:

1. "Send me more information"

It's hard to know what prospects mean when they tell you this. Some salespeople regard it as a guaranteed blow-off, but real prospects will often start here as well. The only way to find out is to ask!

Agree: "I'd be glad to send you information."

Clarify: "So that I get you the right information, what specifically are you looking for?" If the prospect answers using action-oriented words, there's a good chance this is a genuine opportunity: "We're looking to achieve ... fix ... solve ... avoid ... improve...." These words suggest that the prospect has already identified his or her problems and accepted that change is necessary. If the prospect says, "Send me whatever you have," it's not a real opportunity. Time to move on.

Legitimize: Project your prospect into the future so that she can walk you through the decision-making process; for example: "You'll receive the information by Monday. Assuming you'll need some time to look it over, when should I call back to follow up?" Once you have a time frame established, continue: "And assuming you've reviewed the information and like what you see, what do you feel would happen next?" The prospect's answer will give you a clear sense of whether the opportunity is worth investing in.

Paul Cherry, President and CEO, Performance Based Results has 20 years experience as a sales training consultant with an emphasis placed on sales training, leadership development, sales coaching and leadership coaching. Visit his website at: www.PBResults.com.