Fail to make the sale? The prospect said an emphatic NO! You’re sure he should have bought, so what happened?
In some cases, it may have been because you failed to establish enough trust and confidence to secure the sale.
Even though the truth may hurt, sometimes you should take a step back, be objective and ask the following revealing questions about yourself and your abilities.
1. Am I dressed for success? USA Today reported that after interviewing 651 sales managers, almost across the board, 94% of those interviewed stated, “A sloppy, unstylish dresser will cause their job to be more difficult.”
2. Am I on time? Gale Sayers is quoted, “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you are on time, you’re late and if you’re late, you are forgotten.”
3. Am I organized? Did you have all the tools, support information, collateral material at your fingertips or were you fumbling?
4. Do I confidently answer all the prospect’s questions? The absolute worse closing technique is to tell a prospect, I don’t know.’ Realize when you say ‘I don’t know’ you literally are the one doing the be-backing, causing the prospect to think to himself, Let me know when you find out, but in the meantime, I’m going to continue shopping.'”
5. Am I demonstrating my property and homes? Are you physically accompanying prospects on the property, and emotionally involving them in the selection process of their brand new homes/homesites?
6. Am I asking the prospect to own? It’s hard to believe, but the main reason people do not own is that they are not asked to buy. Up to 50% of all sales calls end without salespeople attempting to close even once. How many closing techniques and strategies have you memorized and internalized? The answer to that question will tell you how many times you actually went for the close.
7. Do I follow-up? The undeniable truth is most new home sales occur as a result of multiple contacts. Therefore, do you purposely and tenaciously pursue your prospects?
8. How are my third party testimonials? Do you name-drop other satisfied customers to build confidence as well as create a sense of urgency?
9. Are prospects asking questions that express doubt about my company or me? Do they ask, “How long have you been with the company?” or, “What happens in the case of warranty issues?”
10. Am I communicating with prospects the way they want to maintain contact? Fact: The Internet is now the primary tool the prospect has to shop by the process of elimination. Are you still trying to conduct your business only by phone and the postal service?
11. Do I come across sincere? This characteristic is the missing ingredient in most sales conversations. It’s subtle, but if sincerity is lacking, it is picked up by the prospect immediately.
12. Do I knock the competition? Digging for dirt causes you to loose ground. Could you be making disparaging remarks about your competition to try to make your product look better?
These questions are designed to help you evaluate your ability to create buyer confidence from customers who decided not to do business with you. If you want them to work, be honest in your self-appraisal. Then you’ll be able to identify problem areas and sharpen your selling skills. Remember, it is better to say, “This one thing I do well,” than to say “These forty things I dabble in.”
