Anyone who has been in sales knows that selling can be a very difficult job. While the satisfaction of making a sale and getting a new client is a wonderful feeling, making a sale sometimes comes after going through the challenging process of using persuasive sales strategies to convince the client that your product or service will greatly benefit them.
When trying to make a sale, one of the most discouraging statements that salespeople often hear from potential clients is, "I want to think about it." As salespeople we try to stay positive after hearing this dreaded phrase, but deep down we know that this person is most likely not going to buy our product or service. So, how do you convince that person who says, "I want to think about it" to saying, "Yes, I want to buy it now."?
People love buying things. We go shopping for fun, and everybody wants to earn more money so we can buy more stuff. However, every person has at some point been burned by a salesperson who promised them the world, and then when they bought the product or service, it turned out to far less valuable than the salesperson promised. In fact, it may have been total garbage. This makes people very cautious when making a purchase, especially a big purchase, and it makes them not trust salespeople.
Your potential customers are not stupid. They understand that as a salesperson you probably make a commission on the sales you make and therefore, your intentions are to put money in your pocket, and that you probably don't have their best interests at heart. That is why many people will automatically stall when faced with making a buying decision by saying something like, "I need to think about it."
When a person tries to avoid buying your product or service and stalls by saying, "I need to think about it", here is what they may really be thinking:
* I do not have enough information or proof that this product or service will truly benefit me the way you say it will.
* I do not trust you as a salesperson or I simply do not like you and I will never buy anything from you.
* I don't like this product or service and I don't want to be rude and say I don't like it, so I will just say I need to think about it so I can leave without buying.
* I cannot afford this product or service but I don't want to embarrass myself by saying I can't afford it so I will just say I need to think about it so I can leave without buying.
* If I buy this my spouse/partner will kill me so I need an excuse to not buy it so I can go home and ask if it is okay if I can buy it.
* I know where I can buy this same product or service at a much lower price, but I don't want to negotiate price with you, so I will just say I need to think about it and then I will buy it at a lower price from the other source.
The best way to convert people who stall and say they need to think about it into becoming a buyer now is by digging deeper into why the prospect feels uncomfortable in buying and is stalling. To do this you will need to ask the person questions to uncover why they are stalling and their real reason for not buying. Yes, this is tough to do and it may feel uncomfortable, but it will help you close more sales and it will help you save a lot of time by uncovering non buyers so you don't waste your time in the future following up with them over and over when they have zero intention of ever buying from you. Try asking questions like the following:
* I understand that you need to think about it. What information do you not have about this product/service that is keeping you from making the decision to buy it now? What information would help you to make the decision to buy it now?
* I understand that you need to think about it. However, thinking about it will not change the fact that this product/service will help you do X, Y, and Z, which you told me are all very important to you. What else do you need this product/service to do for you to make a decision to buy it now?
* I understand that you need to think about it. What does this product/service not do that is stopping you from making the decision to buy it now?
* I understand that you need to think about it. Normally, when a person needs to think it, it is usually because they think the product/service won't do something they want it to do. What do you think this product/service won't do that is stopping you from making the decision to buy it now?
* I understand that you need to think about it. Can I ask you 3 quick questions? 1. Does this product/service do what you want it to do? 2. Can you afford this product/service? 3. Am I a person you would like to do business with? If the person answers yes to all three questions, then say great, let's do this deal. Sign here and here.
By asking tough questions like the questions above, you will uncover the real reason for why the person is stalling and not buying today, and then you can provide them with the information they need to make a decision to either buy now or to say, thanks but no thanks, and leave. You want to get a yes or no decision to avoid wasting your time in the future with endless follow-up that will most likely not lead to a sale.
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