Knowing When to Say, “Next!”

There are two contradictory truths in selling. One is that in many industries the great majority of sales come after the fifth, eighth, or even tenth call, and the tragedy is that too many sales people never make those "fruitless" follow-up calls.

The second truth, however, is that in other industries, sales follow the "law of large numbers." This law says that if someone doesn't buy after two or three calls, they will probably never buy and successful salespeople know when to move on and find a new prospect. In these industries, the best salespeople make one or two contacts, give it their best presentation, then quickly learn to say, "Next!" They move on without hesitation.

Which truth applies to you and your business? Knowing the answer is critical to your success!

And what happens if there is no "industry standard" and you have to decide on a case-by-case basis? Think about car buyers.

Some customers visit a car lot to dream or "tire-kick." They are just looking and will keep on looking for years, perhaps until their current car falls apart. Repeated
invitations to come back because we "just got a new model, and it's your favorite color" is a waste of time. When they are finally ready to buy (and who knows when that will be?) they'll come in, negotiate a price and sign the papers. They've been "looking" for years and they know what they want. Until then, repeated calls make no difference.

Other customers, however, are ready and want to buy, but need hand-holding. They want to be encouraged. They want to be valued and they will respond to a second, a third or fourth invitation to buy.

Knowing your industry, and being able to "read" the intentions and buying styles of individual customers makes all the difference. It's a skill and it can be learned. If you are in business, you are in sales. Get good at it.


Knowing When to Say, “Next!” - To learn more about this author, visit Rodger Blaker's Website.

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