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Guest post by: Maura Schreier-Fleming Become an Author

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Here’s your choice. You make your sales presentation and your customer replies with either a “no” or a “maybe.” Which is better to hear? I’ll take the “no” every time. Here’s why.

Why do customers say “maybe”? Less assertive people dislike confrontation. They find it stressful when we’re trying to sell and they don’t want to buy. If they tell us “no” we might try harder to convince them to buy. That creates more stress for them and it makes them uncomfortable. They will try to remove the stress. By saying “maybe”, it will at least temporarily get rid of us, and avoid any confrontation.

Some customers are afraid to hurt our feelings. They’re afraid to admit they really don’t have the power to say “yes”. If only we could tell them that it hurts our business far more to use our selling time on someone who can’t say “yes”!

I’d rather hear “no.” If there is truly no possibility of a sale I’d rather move on to the next prospect and try to sell there. Think of the time that you spend attempting to convert the “maybe” to a “yes” when really the “maybe” is a “no.” If you could spend all the wasted “maybe” time on true prospects, your selling results would improve dramatically.

How can you avoid “maybe”? During your initial contact, either by phone or certainly during the first sales call, you should have a list of questions that will define a true prospect. Always make sure you identify the decision maker. To spare some egos, the question to ask is, “Who along with you is involved in the decision making process?” Other questions that separate the prospects from the maybes are, “Is there a budget in place for the product/service?” and “When will the decision be made?” If the decision is a long way off the likelihood of hearing “maybe” is increased. Another question is, “What are the criteria for selection?” If your customer gives an evasive response, it will be difficult for him to justify selecting you. Expect another maybe.

Getting an answer. Some salespeople will want to confront the customer for a decision. They would say, ”I don’t think we’re going to do business. That’s all right. I need to know now.“ Rather than using this direct approach, I would prefer that a salesperson leaves an opportunity for future business. There just might be valid reasons or concerns that force your customer to answer “maybe.” A better question for your indecisive customer would be, “What will it take for us to do business?” Clearly, if your prospect cannot answer that question he is unlikely to ever become a customer.

Thinking that a “maybe” is really a “yes” is dangerous in sales. You may think you’re being optimistic, which is essential in sales. You’re not being optimistic. You’re really creating false hope. Optimism produces sales. False hope gets you nowhere. In sales, it’s much safer to believe that a “maybe” really means “no.” Better yet, find out quickly what “maybe” means to your customer by asking him. If you can’t do that, I’d rather hear “no.”

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