Go for No – Can You Clinch Deals by Going for No?
What if you stop going for yes from prospective clients and instead make it your aim to go for no? It might sound illogical, but here is something to chew on: the majority of salespersons aren’t doing very well in terms of bringing in the cash; only a select few are. What if I tell you that the only real “secret” these top successful salespersons know is that the key to drawing more yeses is following a “go for no” approach? It might be hard to believe, but it actually works like a charm.
Why Go for No Results in More Sales
If you’re into sales, you’re likely better than you think at handling blunt rejections. You simply shrug it off and get going again. But handling indirect rejections is no so easy; it exhausts you and completely breaks your momentum. The more you invest your time, energy and hope in those who say something like “I’ll think about it,” “Need to discuss it with my wife/friend/mom/dad/astrologer,” “Call me back,” etc. the less confident and motivated you’ll be when you meet the real buyers.
But if you go for no, and press the procrastinators into just saying no instead of blowing smoke at you, they will comply and simply be honest about what they think. When this happens, you can find out their REAL objection and take it from there. If not, the matter is as simple as they are not interested in the product/service but do not have the guts to say a blunt “no”. Either way, you get a move ahead; you either finalize the deal or move on to another call.
But not all salespersons are confident enough to take this approach because they fear losing the sale. So they run after the prospective buyers, call them back, and give out their contact details in the hope that the buyers will call them back. The more you do this, the more you are letting yourself buy the customer’s excuses. It’s the customer that ought to buy things from you; and not the other way round.
Hence, go for no. Find out the real objection and take a shot at prevailing over it. Even if you are unable to, you will have the time and energy to focus your attention on those people who’ll end up being your customers.
Want Higher Sales? Go for No to Hear More Yeses
Are you making fantastic presentations, building value, trying to create camaraderie and STILL getting thumbs down from prospective customers? If so, you are probably trying TOO hard to get a yes; it’s time to go for no. It does sound counterintuitive, but it’s a strategy that results in more closed deals.
If you look back, you’ll realize that it’s not the “no” that sucks your energy as a salesperson, it’s the “I need to discuss it with…” “Let me think about it,” etc. Just go for no and stop the needless hankering. You’ll get to the real buyers before you run out of steam.
