If you NEED to close a sale… it is likely that you will come across desperate.
You’ll have a tendency to ignore the rules of prospecting and start selling instead of asking and qualifying.
You go into convincing mode… and that is when you are operating in force instead of flow.
There are 3 things that I see network marketers and sales people do that make them seem desperate. And I want to assist you to avoid these situations so you can prospect and close like a professional… NOT a desperate network marketer.
Here are some of the common mistakes you might be making when you prospect…
1. YOU ASSUME YOUR PROSPECT IS INTERESTED
Ok… I’ve seen this so many times.
It starts coming up and then… VERBAL VOMIT all over the prospect.
Too often there is an assumption made that everyone is a prospect and everyone needs what you have. When you make this assumption and just start talking, telling, and selling…
… you are communicating to your prospect that you are trying to “GET THEM.”
When they feel you are in it for YOU and not what you can do to assist them, they will run for the hills!
You have to learn about your prospect by asking questions to uncover their wants, goals and problems to see if you have a solution that can assist them.
Once you’ve found where you can solve their problem… don’t fall into this next desperation pattern.
2. YOU JUMP ON THEIR PROBLEMS TOO QUICKLY
This one is a forehead slapper.
You start off by asking a prospect questions and the moment they reveal one of their challenges… you’re a tiger pouncing on its prey.
And that’s one sure way to scare them off.
Continue to ask more questions about what you have uncovered.
Again… let me remind you. This is about them and what they want.
NOT what you want.
When you jump in the first moment you see the opportunity to start selling… that is when you seem desperate and your prospect can smell that from a mile away.
No one wants to do business with someone that is needy.
Ask the questions and have the patience to continue the asking process when you find a problem that your products, services or opportunity can solve…
…but don’t fall into this next trap.
3. YOU REFUSE TO TAKE A HINT
Trust me… your prospects will give you signals to let you know if they are serious, curious or are not interested.
If you don’t pick up on these cues, you will end up wasting a lot of time and energy with the wrong people.
And you will seem desperate.
So what are the clues?
Listen to your prospect’s language style… listen to the words they use. Are they words of commitment or words used to make you think they have interest so they can get out of the conversation?
Here’s what I mean…
If a prospect says,
“Yeah… that sounds great. Uh-huh. O.K. Sure. I’d like to. Let me get back to you.”
And then you keep talking and selling… you are missing the lack of commitment and disinterest they are displaying by their word choices.
Yeah, uh-huh, o.k., sure and I’d like to are not the word YES.
If you don’t understand that, your desperation will keep you talking.
Your prospects don’t want to be sold… so you have to learn how to close like a professional.
CLOSE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
If you want to be a closer, you have to learn to detach from the outcome. Yes, I know you want the sale or to add someone to your team, BUT this is a sorting process.
You have to learn to sort instead of sell.
And it’s really simple to do.
Learn to ask questions to build rapport and fact find.
Listen to what’s meant and not what’s said.
Look for words of commitment like, Yes, Absolutely, Unequivocally, I Will, I’m Committed…
If you receive answers that lack commitment, reframe your prospect’s answer into a commitment question.
If you say, “I will send you the information on our product… will you be able to review it in the next 24 hours?…” and the prospect says, “Sure, I’ll take a look.”
You have to be able to respond with, “Tom, can you commit to that?”
REMEMBER… Sure is not YES!
If the prospect says, “Well, I’ll try but…”
DING DING DING
Houston… We have a problem!
Did he just say TRY?
This should be a big clue that the prospect is not committed.
There should be no more telling and selling on your end.
It’s… See ya chief!… and then make another call.
No desperation required.
That’s how you become a pro. You’re not in the convincing business. The more you attempt to “sell someone”… the more they pull away from you.
When you start from “need mode”… your prospects will sense it.
The better you become at prospecting, the better your prospects become.