Asking for the Business – Sales Series Part VII

By Action Coach Dave Beam

Did you know that over 68% of sales people (or folks disguised as sales people) never ask for the business?  If you consider this interesting statistic, and change your ways and start asking for the business every time, your sales conversion rate will improve.

So what are the reasons (excuses) that salespeople make for not asking for people to buy?  Here are the most common ones that I encounter:  “I don’t want to seem pushy”,  “I feel uncomfortable asking people for money”, “I think it is best to just wait for people to ask to buy”, “I don’t want to manipulate and pressure people”, “I really am not sure how to ask”, and on and on it goes.  Maybe you relate to some of these statements.  Sales people live in fear of NO.  There’s nothing wrong with a no, and you don’t have to be afraid of it!

In my experience, the best way to rid yourself of the fear of NO is to have a great plan to ask for the sale and follow it.  A great plan includes letting the prospect know that he or she will be asked to make a decision at the appropriate time.  If you have been following our sales process, asking people to buy is the logical, most reasonable thing to do when the time comes.  If you have positioned the prospect well, and built a great trusting relationship, and asked the best questions and listened, and have come to an agreement on what the customer wants, what the budget is, what the timeframe to buy is, then it is no big deal to ask to move forward and ask for the business.  Here’s a sample script: “So George, based on what you have told me, you would like to have both bedrooms painted next week using the colors you have selected.  You are really glad that our schedule will accommodate your vacation, and that we will be finished and cleaned up before you return next Friday.  You mentioned that if you could charge this on your Visa card, it should be no problem. We can take care of the payment right now and get started on Monday and be finished by Friday.  Our cost for the entire project won’t exceed $2,500.  Does that sound ok?”

This is where you need to shut your mouth and wait for the response.  If George says yes, gladly take his information, schedule the project and help him feel great about his decision.  If you are implementing our system, you will be minimizing objections and stalls.  You still should be prepared to address them in a professional and polite manner, and there is a way to graciously help people overcome them.  I really want to devote next week’s entire article to that issue. 

I started this letter stating that I would love to sit down with you and help you with your specific sales process.  Why don’t you give Nathan a call and set a complimentary appointment today?  Just thought I would ask!