Help! I Can't Get a No or Yes!

We hear this a lot. Prospects and customers use the "excuse" - let me think about it. Face it, we all do it. So let's reverse engineer the problem.

When WE do it, it's typically for a couple of reasons: 1) we just don't want to say 'no' 2) we really are not sure and truly want to think it over / just not ready to commit for some reason. Maybe it's cost, maybe it's timing, or maybe the product is not appealing in every way. Lots of reasons!  But based on these two major issues, you can then chose how you want to respond. Think of it like a short version of one of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books and take a path...

1) Tell the person it's okay to tell you 'no' if it's not something they are interested in, and quite frankly you'd appreciate so that you don't have to waste your time or any of their time in the future.

2) Tell them thinking it over is totally fine, you understand, but you want to set up a time to follow up. Then schedule the follow up and do it!

3) Probe the issue by telling them that usually when someone wants to "think about it" that there is something that is a concern and you're just curious if there is something that doesn't feel right... or something that is concerning to them... or something that is... well, you get it, there are dozens of ways to word this! 

Whatever you do, just don't get frustrated!  Seek to understand and help. In that moment, choose an approach and do your best to be of service to the person you are dealing with. And above all, do not give up!

Success Requires Hanging In!

Fear and Quitting Philosophy

Success Requires Positive Patience

Sales Ideas for Every Entrepreneur

The launch of my entrepreneurial venture consisted of buying a fax machine, submitting a 'DBA' to the local newspaper, and quitting my job. With no idea what I was doing, I gleefully began to figure out who our ideal client was, how to reach them, what to say, and not to give up. In a nut shell, that is the sales plan for every new entrepreneur! Looking back there are 3 key sales ideas or philosophies that I discovered along the way that are my favorites...

 1) When faced with a NO, if you can... find out why.  Are you too expensive? Is there something that is not ideal about the product? Something confusing that could be better explained? When you get a NO it is the perfect to find out, 'why.' You will have loads failures and no's in your business but not learning from them is a big mistake. It's the perfect research so don't be afraid to probe further so you can improve from each interaction even if it does not result in business.

2) Talk to more people. Because we all operate in a 'yes' world we typically don't go after people who we think we'll get a 'no' from. And yet you must not make assumptions about anything or any one. And while you do want to spend time with qualified prospects... most entrepreneurs just don't share their business with enough people! The result? Struggling because we become reliant on a few clients - never fun. Never lose sight of the fact that you must be out there engaging with potential client all of the time.

3) Follow up. Follow up on the NO's (remember #1?) Stay in touch. Send cards, postcards, emails, and give a quick call. Be there - still in the game - when your customer is ready to hire you. Most people get a 'no' and they see it as never rather than 'not yet.' You must turn invested time into profitable and the only way to do that is to ensure you follow up with your qualified and interested (but not ready yet) prospects.
   

Kids Learn to Fear Failure, Not To Value It

Great article from The Sheaf, University of Saskatchewan makes the case that we systematically drill in a fear of failure into children, especially as they move through the school system, quote:  "The first thing students look at when a professor returns an exam or assignment is the grade — not the corrections or the suggestions that are scrawled in the margins. There are no marks awarded for doing something new or for caring deeply about what you’re learning. When only the grade is important, students lose any interest in doing work beyond what is necessary to get a good mark."

Perhaps this is why many adults have a fear of making mistakes, failure, all from a process that was drilled into us long ago... now completely subconscious but still able to run our feelings about taking risks and being willing to fail, let alone embrace failure. Just a guess. I could be wrong.

Courage is a Muscle... Use it or Lose It!