No trust

This week we're looking at the five obstacles to any sale as outlined by legendary sales trainer Zig Ziglar: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust. Today's obstacle: "no trust."

To overcome a lack of trust, you must first realize that most prospects don't know you and may never have even heard of your company.

Here's a tip from Michael Dalton Johnson, Editor of Top Dog Sales Secrets that should help:

"All things being equal, who do you think your prospect is going to buy from: the company he has known for years, or you, the new kid on the block?" asks Johnson. "Allay his fears by providing him with current customer lists (including contact names and numbers for some of your accounts), testimonial letters on your customers' letterhead, documented case histories, and press coverage. A referral from someone he knows and respects will swing doors wide open."

There you have it: expert strategies and tactics to overcome the five basic obstacles to any sale. Now put this knowledge to use and make more sales!

The thrill is gone

Zig Ziglar says there are five obstacles to any sale. Today we investigate the fourth obstacle -- no desire.

You probably recognize "no desire" in the form of brush-offs, "we're happy with our current supplier," prospects gone AWOL, and price objections. Why? When prospects don't see the value of your product or service, they have no desire to do business with you - or buy your product at any price.

Julie Thomas, CEO of ValueVision Associates says that your challenge as a salesperson is to help prospects recognize the value of your product, so that your sales campaign ends up on their short list of must-have purchases. Only after you have identified the critical business issue, its underlying problems, and the value of solving these problems, are you in a position to help the prospect move your solution to the top of the list of must-have purchases.

Every problem and business issue has a cost or impact. The challenge is to help the customer see the value from his perspective, not yours. This means asking questions such as:

--How much time do you spend chasing inventory information?
--How much delay does that cause, and how does that translate to revenue production?
--How does this affect you? Are you impacted by this personally?

Once you've established value, you'll discover that "no desire" is no longer an obstacle.

This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Julie Thomas is president and CEO of ValueVision Associates.

Creating a sense of urgency

Zig Ziglar said, "Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."

Today we're looking at the "no hurry" obstacle. You know the problem. Your prospect has an acknowledged need. You have the solution. They have the budget. But, they're just not moving forward.

In this situation, "Clients often need a little prodding to overcome their lack of urgency," says speaker and consultant Mike Schultz who advises that you:


Ask yourself, "What won't happen?" By the end of the sales process, you should have a very clear idea how your services will provide value to the prospect if he buys. Your next step is to get the client to understand the implications of not choosing to engage your services. Start by building a case (to yourself) for the negative implications if the client chooses not to solve the problem or address the issue using your services.

Ask the client, "What won't happen?" At the appropriate time in the sales process, ask the client, "To help me understand your situation so I can craft the best solution for you, can you give me a sense of what will happen if you choose not to move forward in this process and engage our services?" Like a good trial lawyer, you already know from your earlier analysis what those implications will be. However, the point is to get the client to state those implications out loud, in his own words.

Quantify the results. Just as you quantify the benefits and value of moving forward, quantify the implications for the customer of not moving forward. Make sure your case is clear before going on to the next step.

Demonstrate the results. When demonstrating your value in the presentation or proposal, also demonstrate the value of the "What won't happen?" analysis. For example, suppose you demonstrate that revenue will go up by 3% and customer retention 20% if they purchase your service. Now show them the flip side. Demonstrate that if they choose not to go forward, revenue will stagnate or drop and customer retention will drop by at least 5%.

"By employing a 'What won't happen?' analysis in your sales process, you will find a consistent increase in the sense of urgency of your clients, resulting in measurably increased closing rates," says Schultz.

Give his advice a try and let us know how this strategy works for you!

This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Mike Schultz is principal of Wellesley Hills Group.

Come back tomorrow to find out how to deal with the "no desire" obstacle.

Sales Obstacles

"Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust." --Zig Ziglar

Wise words from a sales training legend. This week we'll look at how to overcome each of these selling obstacles.

Today's obstacle: "no need"
"For many sales reps, getting prospects to open up and reveal their real issues, challenges and concerns early on is the most difficult part of the sales process," says telesales trainer Jim Domanski. "Without this critical information, the rep has no clear direction in which to take the sales call. As a result, demonstrating clear and compelling value to the prospect becomes almost impossible."

"When you probe for needs most prospects are reluctant to divulge areas of pain. This is understandable. Because you're a stranger, they feel a natural hesitancy to open up the floodgates and spill all their issues. On another level, some prospects don't want to admit to anyone that they have a pressing problem."

Domanski advises reps to use a scenario selling technique which makes it easier for reps to ask the tough questions, and prospects to respond. "Scenario selling is formulaic, and divided into two parts," explains Jim. "The rep creates a scenario as a pretext for asking a sensitive question. Next, the rep uses an open-ended trigger phrase such as, 'What has been your experience?' that invites the prospect to elaborate."

Here are two examples:

"Ms. Bixby, much of our client research shows that cash flow is sometimes an issue, particularly with the fluctuating price of oil. Let me ask you - what has been your experience with cash flow over the last year or so?"

"Mr. Edgerton, one of the things we've learned with new practices is that marketing their services is a challenge, because the owners are doctors and not marketers. Let me ask, what has been your approach to marketing, and what type of results have you been experiencing?"

To implement this technique, Domanski suggests strategizing with your manager or fellow reps. Develop a scenario or two that highlights common points of pain. Script your scenario and trigger phase and then practice until they flow naturally. Now deliver and watch the impact on your sales!

This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Jim Domanski is president of Teleconcepts Consulting.

Join us again tomorrow as we tackle the "no money" obstacle.

Quote of the Week

"For every sale you miss because you're too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you're not enthusiastic enough." - Zig Ziglar

Enthusiasm can't mask inadequacies or inexperience, but it can help set you apart. All things being relatively equal, I'm buying from the salesperson who demonstrates that he wants my business, every time. I know he'll be there for me when things inevitably go wrong or we need a rush job.

My advice: never neglect to tell your prospects you want them as customers. Ask for the business! - Tina LoSasso, SalesDog.com Managing Editor