We're not interested objection

Yikes, now what?

Do you push forward or turn around and walk out? :confused: -Newbie

Are you encountering this resistance up front, in the middle or at the end of the presentation? There is a difference! -WobblyBox

Wobbly is right. Timing can help indicate which type of resistance you're encountering. For example, if you get this response up front it's possible that you didn't capture the prospects attention and/or interest. If you get this response after delivering a presentation it could be considered a bona fide objection. -Jolly Roger

Thanks Guys! :) -Newbie

I'm not interested in the concepts of objection and resistance. I took an interest in these things for many years - really decades of my life and not only in sales. Then one day I decided to erase the concepts from my mind and replace them with something more relaxing and productive.

I replaced them with the concepts of want or not want. This really simplified my life. Some will say this is too black and white and I will say that I agree that in less than 1% of the time there is a little more to it than want or not want.

BUT in the other 99% of the time want or not want will suffice and so when someone doesn't want what I offer I stroll on - that's what I do.

The best of the best to everyone.

MitchM -MitchM

MitchM how often would you say that a potential buyer doesn't understand what is being offered and in response fires off the objection of "not interested"? -Jolly Roger

I wouldn't know - how would I know. But what's the point?

MitchM -MitchM

That's a great question! I would be willing to bet that a high number of the "I'm not interested" objections we get are simply due to the fact the prospect not fully understanding what we are selling.

When I get the "I'm not interested" objection, my first response to the prospect is "exactly what are you not interested in" or "I understand, would you mind if I asked what you are not particulary interested in". Not suprisingly, their responses either confirm that I did not do my due dilligence and help them understand my offering or they have another objection such as "price" which I need to address. -robhalv1

I used to ask that question too. Over time I realized I was slowing myself down and also producing resistance - not what I expected I was doing at all.

When I eliminated that question resistance went away and my sales increased. When I told my sales team to do the same those who did what I told them to do also began to become more successful and those who didn't didn't.

If someone can be successful asking that question then he should use it.

MitchM -MitchM

I think it comes down to how it is delivered to the prospect. I rarely get resistance when I am honest with the prospect and show a true interest in understanding their needs.

The problem with not asking the question is that you are accepting defeat without really understanding "why the prospect is not interested". Asking the question does not only open the door for more opportunity with the prospect but could also help you understand potential problems with your products or services based on the prospects perception.

Regardless, your statement "If someone can be successful asking that question then he should use it" was well put! -robhalv1

Excellent, robhalv1! -Skip Anderson

Nothing beats sincerity - good point.

MitchM -MitchM

The potential for miscommunication is so high that I question whether "clear communication" is really the exception and not the rule. The potential for a knee jerk response [we're not interested] to limited information is also high (click-whirr). Factor in the cost of lead generation and a salesman's choice to disqualify without verifying clear communication starts to look a lot like 'waste'. -Jolly Roger

I just don't spend much time trying to get clear if the person I'm talking with says NO WANT. Maybe other people are successful other ways - I'm no stranger to poor communication - I understand it all.

MitchM -MitchM

Agreed. msnwnk; -AZBroker

Well said, Jolly. -Skip Anderson

A point to remember, even when a sales professional finds a prospect who WANTS what is being offered that doesn't mean the prospect is going to buy now or ever. Along a similar vein when a prospect says NO WANT that doesn't mean the prospect isn't going to buy now or ever. -Jolly Roger

I know - that's a simple one to understand.

When I hear I WANT we talk and it usually ends up being a sale - not always. When I hear I DON'T WANT I spend little time if any looking for a way to turn that statement into a I WANT.

The last sale I made was to a guy who two months earlier said he wanted a weight loss product I sell but in the conversation I heard some hesitation about using it properly - he admitted to having problems sticking to weight loss systems in the past - so I passed on the sale and told him to let me know when he was serious.

A couple of weeks later he told me he "thought" he was serious and after a little conversation I told him to keep thinking about it.

A couple of weeks ago he got started and he agreed to my follow-up procedure just as I had agreed to his conditions of satisfation - it was a mutual decision.

He still may or may not stick with it long enough to lose 100 pounds - but what I did wasn't any sales tactic. I don't do much business when I mistrust the other person's commitment - I'd rather walk away. Sometimes I'm wrong either way - that's how it goes.

I have friends slamming down sales who have huge failure rates afer these highly influenced-by-fire works people get over their rush to judgment and stop using the products within a few weeks or month or so.

I make fewer sales but have a higher than typical rate of reorder and many go back a decade.

That's how I work.

The best of the best to everyone.

MitchM -MitchM

Without knowing the percentage of times asking that question will result in a sale, how well it works is just an opinion.

If you know how to find prospects who want what you have to offer, you won't waste time on disinterested prospects. You won't even spend time with interested prospects that are not ready, willing and able to buy.

Disqualifying a disinterested prospect is not ”accepting a defeat." It is a superior strategy that can maximize your closing rates. -JacquesWerth

You are assuming this prospect is disinterested without asking questions or qualifying them further. Walking away from business without doing your due diligence is not a "superior strategy."

I can assure that at least 80% of my clients told me they were not interested at some point, yet today they are happy clients! -robhalv1

Robhalv1, I strongly with your statement that assuming a prospect is disinterested without asking questions or qualifying them further is a mistake and is, indeed, not doing due diligence. -Skip Anderson

I am not assuming anything.
The topic of this thread is how to deal with prospects who say, "We're Not Interested." Since you forgot that, I won't jump all over your "due diligence" remark.

However, your 80% statistic is meaningless.
A meaningful statistic would be the percentage of all of the disinterested prospects that you spent time trying to sell that actually became your happy clients. -JacquesWerth

JacquesWerth,

There is nothing in my post that is irrelevant to the topic "We're Not Interested" and your statment "Since you forgot that" is.

The 80% statistic I provided earlier was the perecentage of all of the disinterested prospects that I spent time trying to sell that actually became my happy clients. So I guess it was a meaningful statistic afterall.

I believe in doing everything possible to make sure the prospect fully undersatnds what I am offering and how it will benefit them before walking away. There have been many times that I or one of my sales reps has used your philosophy and walked away from a prospect because they said "they were not interested" later to find that they bought from a competitor. Obviously, the competitor did a better job by asking "why are you not interested?" -robhalv1

You've got a point there. ;wi -Houston

That is both fantastic and incredible.
I have gone out on sales calls with hundreds of the top one percent of salespeople in 23 industries. These are people who are earning between 1/2 and 3 million dollars per year. Yet, none of them were able, or even attempted, to do what you can do.

Our company has trained thousands of salespeople. Those that are earning over $200,000/year are typically closing between 80 and 90 percent of their prospects. However, none of them meets with disinterested prospects. All of the prospects they meet with are not only "interested," they are also ready, willing and able to buy. That is what we teach them how to do. -JacquesWerth

Then I guess it won't surprise you that my compensation is comparable.

Please do not misunderstand me and think I am chasing "disinterested prospects." Almost 100% of my business comes from referrals and even referrals do not fully understand how my solution can benefit their business until I have had an opportunity to fully educate them. It is not uncommon for a prospect to make the "We're Not Interetsed" statement without completely understanding what my company offers.

I agree with you 100% that prospecting intelligently is the key to success. However, going that extra step to try and understand what a prospect is saying when they make the "We're Not Interested" statement is the difference between being an average producer versus a top producer. -robhalv1

I would suggest that an emotional hot button or pain for the buyer was not uncovered and conveyed. Chances are they didn't have an interest because they didn't feel like there was anything for them (individually) to gain. -rogerbauer

Hi to all. I'm new here and will drop by occasionally.

I agree with the guys who stress the importance of qualifying the prospect to the point where "I'm not interested" never comes into the picture. Unless you're in the business of accepting unqualified leads or you're cold calling, why would you want to be in front of someone who hasn't exhibited some level of interest in what you're offering?

I know a guy whose comeback to that line was always an extreme quizzical look on his face and the question, "Then why did you invite me here?"

You can't believe how that response can impact a prospect. It would place them on the defensive and they quite often then gave him something he could grab onto.

One sequence I know about: (P) Prospect; (S) Salesperson

P: I'm not interested
S: Then why did you invite me here?

P: What do you mean?
S: George, I'm confused. We briefly talked about (product) and you said you've been considering it off and on for months. What changed in the last five days to wipe out your interest?

At that point George has to come up with something. It might be baloney or could be real...but he has to respond.

P: Look, I checked into the replacement cycle on the unit we now have and I realized that I made a mistake. I thought it was due for changing out this year. It's actually not for another 18 months. I'm sorry I brought you out here for nothing. Make sure you get back in touch in about a year and I'll see to it that you get a shot at the business.
S: George, it's no problem for me, and thank you for being candid. May I ask how many (units) that current machine is churning out for you and at what monthly cost?

P: 15,000 units at $4.00 even.
S: I know you've got a replacement plan in place, but did you know that I'm now installing brand new machines that can deliver 15,000 units at $3.25 each?

P: $3.25? (grabs calculator)...that's a difference of $11,250 a month...and that's*over $200,000 in savings over that 18-month period. What did you say your machine goes for?
S: $195,000, and that includes installation and training.

P: Have you got some time? I'd like to get my CFO in on this discussion.

The end result was that the savings over that 18 months actually paid for the new machine and my friend got the sale.

Nothing works all the time. The real goal is to get the prospect talking and see where that leads. -Training

1. Welcome to SalesPractice, Training. Congrats on your first post!

2. I couldn't agree more with your quote above. Engagement of the prospect is key. Salespeople who engage more sell more. Period.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Salespeople that know how to find and meet with prospects that are ready, willing and able to buy, sell a lot more than those who engage "interested" prospects. End of story.

If you don't know how to find and identify high probability prospects, and you don't want to develop that skill, then your only alternative is to vigorously defend a second rate sales process.
-JacquesWerth

1. Jacques, perhaps you could explain to the community how you go about finding prospects who are "ready, willing, and able to buy" unless you've engaged them.

2. I think your second paragraph is self-serving. I believe that there is a lot to be learned from various sales thinkers, sales trainers, and veteran salespeople other than just Jacques Werth. I don't know if I know of any "second-rate sales processes." But I know of a third-rate one: it's called "high probability selling." End of story.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

You advocate not to personally attack anyone on this site yet you squeeze your comments in at every opportunity against certain members of this community. What's your deal man?


-bluenote

"Ready, willing and able" takes more time, and whether you're going to invest that depends upon what you're selling and the length of the cycle. If it's going to take five meetings and six months to place equipment in the six figures, that's one type of prospecting. With the cost of a selling encounter steadily rising, I'd indeed want the salesperson to do some advance work in order to know the best way to approach an organization, and to know the factors that influence the likelihood of a buy.

If you're looking to sell life insurance to a young family, it's different. "Interested" is probably good enough, so long as my qualifying questions have determined the need, whether husband and wife are in accord for the purchase, and if they're financially ready to move forward.

But then, "interested" really morphs into "ready, willing and able," doesn't it?

There's a fine line at work here, and maybe the lesson involved is that salespeople should ask more qualifying questions before they ever agree to sit with a prospect. -Training

1. I have described the High Probability Prospecting process in great detail numerous times in these SalesPractice.com forums. If you really want to know, they are easy to find.

2. When you make it clear that you have no understanding of the HPS process, but cast unfounded aspersions at it, you show everyone what you are made of.
-JacquesWerth

You are right. But, the line is not very “fine.”
Coincidentally, I used to own an insurance agency. Before that I was VP, Sales for a company that built capital equipment for electronics manufacturers. The largest single sale that I closed was for $14 million.

Regardless of the sales situation, it is easy to determine if prospects are ready, willing and able to buy, or not - before you decide to spend your valuable time with them.

If you know can do that, why would you ever make an appointment with someone who is merely interested? -JacquesWerth

Finding and meeting with prospects that are "ready, willing and able to buy" does not eliminate objections (i.e. "We're not interested") caused by a salesperson not doing their due dilligence in the sales process. Even the most qualified prospects still need to be convinced that your product or service will be beneficial to them and/or their company.

Although I appreciate your attempt to promote your product and process I still have to disagree that your solution is a "magic potion" and will guarantee no objections. Telling salespeople to only look for "laydowns" and not do their due dilligence in qualifying and delivering a solution for a potential customer is both impractical and irresponsible. -robhalv1

Jacques, what you seem to be missing is that you have no problem calling any system that is non-hps "second rate", yet when someone calls your high probability selling "third rate", you acuse that individual of casting "unfounded aspersions" of your system.

Do you see how that might not appear to be fair? I suggest that you either quit casting stones at others' systems, or accept stones when they're cast back at your system. -Skip Anderson

Can you please provide the source for the quote above that you attributed to Mr. Werth?

If not, are you willing to rescind the word "irresponsible".

It's OK to disagree, but let's play fair. Misquotes to support an accusation of irresponsbility doesn't constitute playing fair. -Joe Closer

Which systems did Mr. Werth apply the words "second rate" to? -Joe Closer

If you know how to find prospects who want what you have to offer, you won't waste time on disinterested prospects. You won't even spend time with interested prospects that are not ready, willing and able to buy.

- This statement implies that these prospects would have no objections what so ever which is impractical

If you don't know how to find and identify high probability prospects, and you don't want to develop that skill, then your only alternative is to vigorously defend a second rate sales process.

- This statement implies that unless you are only working high probability prospects everything else is second rate. That is irresponsible. I close a lot of business and a large portion of them are not high probability prospects. They are prospects!

Again, I have no argument with the point that working only highly qualified leads makes your life easier. But to imply that it is the only way is wrong. This topic is about dealing with the objection "we're not interested" not "high probability prospecting". -robhalv1

Sometimes people use interest to mean more than just a casual interest and more to mean a want without saying want BUT when I switched from handing out brochures, DVDs, other materials AND sitting down with prospects who said, "Yea, I might be interested." to NOT handing out all that stuff BUT ONLY sitting down with people who said, "I want that." the result for me - was fewer appointments but more products sold.

Example. A couple of months ago a guy told me he wanted one of our weight loss products. We were at a meeting together so after the meeting we talked for a couple of minutes - I hardly knew him - I asked him about his childhood - we chatted - but when I asked him how serious he was he said he found it difficult to be consistent with our product. I told him when he was ready to buy and use it right I'd sell it to him - "I want you to get results and results take commitment."

A few weeks later he said he was still thinking about getting started - I asked him what was holding him up and he knows he starts and stops over and over and he knows that's not good - for losing weight he tells me.

I agreed and told him when he was ready let me know.

A few weeks ago he said he was ready so we met for 45 minutes - I got to know him more and decided I could trust him and enjoy our business relationship - BUT I also told him that if what we had met his expectations he'd also have to agree to mine which is a follow up system to help him develop a habit. He agreed and doing well!
-------------------
I'm self taught in almost everything I've learned - I follow in my dad's steps but he's much more disciplined - and in the high probability selling system I'm no different. I've read Mr. Werth's book four times but I've never enrolled in one of his trainings. So I'm a novice at HPS and I don't do it 100% like it's written - but I'm getting close.

When someone is hedging or not serious or is only interested I stop. I spent a few years using different techniques self taught for over coming objections, for probing to unearth this and that, to turn an interest into a want now. Here was the problem for me - no one else here may be in the same situation: I could force a sale from time to time on sheer energy and strength of presentation over coming weakness in the other person. OR I could help that person identify this or that and through the hoops buy my products.

So what's the problem with that? In my business repeat monthly ordering is my business - it's critical - and those closes mostly quit. BUT TODAY those who close themselves like the man I told you about mostly don't quit. AND I didn't have good self esteem in that era of my sales life.

When I look back to the customers we have going back ten and eleven years they also ordered because it was what they wanted and they got results. It was in my second year when I decided I had to become that Professional Salesman and read and study and get more polished - that's when the trouble began. That's when I was in my wilderness years - a lot of activity and some stuck - but too much didn't.

So my amateurish toddling inexperience in the beginning was pretty close to what I do today - and right. Right for me anyway.

MitchM -MitchM

I got the same impression from Jacques' post as robhalv1. Jacques if that wasn't what you meant would you explain what you did mean? -Gilbert

He means exactly what he said. "If you don't know how to find and identify high probability prospects, and you don't want to develop that skill, then your only alternative is to vigorously defend a second rate sales process."

-----

I have been studying HPP & HPS for nearly 2 years now and I have trained my staff with these principles. This means that we DO NOT talk to or present people with our products and service who are not ready to business with us TODAY.

The results do not lie.

2 years ago, I was just another 100k per year salesman who was miserable with my boss and the company I was working for. Since then I have founded my own company, learned how to only deal with people who were only ready to business with me right now - and within 6 months trained a staff to do the same thing. I have gone from a low end 6 figure salary to a 7 figure salary in less than 2 years by studying and implementing this simple philosophy.

All you folks who want to knock it... and it doesn't matter what you sell - dang man, you're making a huge mistake. -bluenote

Perhaps you didn't follow the thread and notice that my post was in direct response to another post?

My deal is that I don't care for people who act like self-promoting bullies. I tend to speak out against people like that.

Skip -Skip Anderson

I followed the post man... I follow all the posts. Sometimes I have something to say - sometimes I don't.

You clearly have a negative vibe towards certain members of this community Skip. -bluenote

The argument is not whether HPP & HPS works or not it is about dealing with the "we're not interested" objection.

Prospecting is not "rocket science" and anybody who has been in the business long enough or wasted enough time dealing with unqualified prospects knows that dealing with prospects that are "willing, able and ready to buy" is more productive. I did not need to spend thousands of dollars or thousands of hours in training to figure that out! -robhalv1

A valued observation. Thanks for keeping us on topic, robhalv1. -Skip Anderson

You are correct and the answer to that is simple. It is don't waste your time and resources dealing with prospects who are not interested. However, that concept seems to infuriate at least one very verbose poster - which is how we got to this point.

You're right about that, too. However, it seems that some people think it is impossible to do that. And they will not stop, take a breath and consider how it can be done.

The training cost is really only six hundred dollars and the time required is about 2½ hours, twice a week, for five weeks. For some people, that beats continuing to waste time and resources on prospects who are merely "interested." Will they ever figure out how to spend almost all of their selling time with highly qualified prospects otherwise? -JacquesWerth

Wow... I take it that HPP & HPS teaches insulting as a defense to failure.

Regardless, I think this is an important topic and would like to hear others opinions on it. The original questions is:


Jaques Werth believes that you should walk away and never be dealing with this type of prospect in the first place, i.e. don't waste your time and resources dealing with prospects who are not interested.

I believe that there are two options here. The first being the same as Jaques Werth in that you can simply walk away and not waste your time. But I also believe that there is a second option which would be to dig a little further and ask a few questions to determine whether or not this prospect is truly "not interested" or if it they just don't understand what you do or how your product or service may benefit them.

Thoughts? -robhalv1

Spot on, robhalv1.

For some, "not interested" is a black and white concept. For others, it is gray, and worthy of investigation. I suppose it also depends upon what kind of product/industry is involved, too. -Skip Anderson

"I believe that there are two options here. The first being the same as Jaques Werth in that you can simply walk away and not waste your time. But I also believe that there is a second option which would be to dig a little further and ask a few questions to determine whether or not this prospect is truly "not interested" or if it they just don't understand what you do or how your product or service may benefit them." -- robhalv1

The first option is best. Then you can always make another call at a later date and make another offer and so on - a NO today may be a YES tomorrow which is why your second option is contrary to your best interest and the best interest of the person who said NO the first time.

Treat people respectfully and when you revisit them their need, want, and willingness to buy may be a YES. Don't dig yourself in a hole - relax and smell the coffee, roses and bacon.

MitchM -MitchM

Quote:
that concept seems to infuriate at least one very verbose poster
What is it about the words "infuriate" and "verbose" that you find insulting?
Note: They were not underlined when I wrote them.
If you want to dispute the accuracy of the statement, first look at the length, repetitiveness and vitriol of his previous posts.

What is the "failure" that you are referred to? Or, is that just your way of getting retribution for the imagined insult. -JacquesWerth

Well said.... I suppose if you are selling a commodity type of product it could be "black or white" or "yes or no". I sell an intangible product to business owners and high level executives and most don't typically understand what my solution provides without a thourough investigation so it is my natural inclination to try and determine their understanding before accepting a "no" or "we're not interested". -robhalv1

LOL.... I guess we continue...

First of all you implied that someone was "infuriated" - I assume because someone had a differing opinion than yours.

Second, the definition of "verbose" is to be wordy or stating more words than neccessary - well, let me just use your recent quote to reply to that:

Disclosure: I underlined the words above -robhalv1

When propsects say they are "not interested," and you probe in hopes of doing something to change their mind, most of them feel disrespected. That reactiion closes their minds to future conversations with you.

Thus, as Mitch indicated, the best strategy is usually to accept their "No," now. That way, they will be willing to hear another prospecting offer from you at a later date, when they might be ready to buy.

If you are in a selling situation where you will never have the opportunitiy to talk to them again, and you have nothing else to do with your time, it might be a good strategy to try to change their mind, now. However, it is better to not be in that kind of selling situation. -JacquesWerth

It is possible to ask questions without making a customer feel disrespected. I am not talking about an all out attack on a prospect but simply an attempt to understand why a prospect is stating that they are not interested. -robhalv1

"If you are in a selling situation where you will never have the opportunitiy to talk to them again, and you have nothing else to do with your time, it might be a good strategy to try to change their mind, now. However, it is better to not be in that kind of selling situation." -- JW

I have been in those situations with one meeting chance only and I have been forceful in applying myself to the immediacy of the situation and making a sale. BUT having put myself in that kind of selling situation many times when I began my business experience, the end result was spinning my wheels over and over again or producing sales which didn't last and I rely on repeat sales.

Changing my stragegy to putting myself in selling situations where I spend time with people who say they want what I'm offering has greatly diminished spinning wheels, increased sales and retention.

So I agree that it's better to not be in that kind of selling situation - it's not a good use of time.

MitchM -MitchM

I don't get it. You want to ask a few questions to "try" and figure out what the reason is that they are "not interested"

Folks, not only is this a waste of your valuable time - but do you understand that this is going against you with your next call with these people?

Do you want to stop trying to figure out why you're not getting paid with the majority of your calls and meetings?

Well stop this nonsense... stop thinking about it. Develop a marketing plan that puts an unlimited amount of super highly qualified prospects in front of your face, learn to close the deal, and you will do a massive amount of business and get paid a massive amount of money for it.

Yes, it is that simple. Anyone who tells you anything different is terribly misinformed. -bluenote

Bluenote, in an earlier post, you wrote (bold is your bold, and caps are your caps, by the way):

"This means that we DO NOT talk to or present people with our products and service who are not ready to business with us TODAY. "

If that works for you, then more power to you. But, I notice that you rated your experience level on your profile as "Intermediate" - there may be some people contributing here who have some additional experience that you do not yet have, and therefore some insight you may not have.

The more complex the product, or more complex the sale, the less likely it is to be able to only talk to people who are ready to do business with you today.

The other factor is that what exactly is "ready"? Does "ready" mean ready to write you a check? Or does it mean ready to negotiate? Or ready to learn more about your product? Or ready to listen to a presentation? Or ready to enter into dialogue with you?

There are few of us who can just be order takers and have the luxury of only meeting with people who are ready to write a check, not because our sales skills are below yours, but because the dynamic of our product or service or industry or operations are different from yours.

And who said that people who don't follow your methodology aren't selling most of their prospects? That's an assumption that you've made that in many cases is simply not true.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Excellent observation. I haven't reached an 8 figure or better annual salary as of yet, Skip. So yes, this classifies me as an intermediate in the elite professional sales world.

Anyone with a net worth of less than 8 figs, who classifies themselves as advanced, is living a pipe dream.

Wrong.

"Ready" means ready to make the purchase of your product or service today. I'm sorry this is difficult for you to comprehend.

Wonderful. Consider yourself blessed when this occurs.

To think that "order taking" or "laydowns" have anything to do with salesmanship is laughable.

These are called the facts and what it takes to produce real numbers. Again, I'm sorry you can't comprehend where this is coming from. -bluenote

Bluenote, in my earlier post, I granted you that, if you're successful using the "I only sell to people who are ready to write me a check today" philosophy, then more power to you.

Why won't you grant to me that selling in other industries or in different markets might be different from what you say works for you?

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Ready to write the check today doesn't mean a simple transaction, Skip. It means an initial agreement should mutually accepted conditions of satisfaction along with trust be met - that can take some time. BUT the commitment is already met for the consumation of the sale provided the rest falls into place - of course it's not water tight but it's a very high probability close.

I might say sarcastically that even an amateur can see this but I won't - maybe I need to upgrade my professed self image to professional status!

MitchM -MitchM

MitchM, Bluenote was clear in his definition of "ready": ready to write a check today. Period.

Now either you agree with that definition, or you don't. When you say "ready, willing, able to buy", is that your definition of ready? Yes or no.

Thanks.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

YES - of course. That obviously doesn't mean 100% of the time it will be written today or that it will be written.

MitchM -MitchM

Well it's obvious that bluenote and MitchM are convinced that walking away is the best option and that is fair enough. However I am curious as to whether you both are basing your opinion's on a first meeting or a meeting following your complete sales cycle.

In other words, are you basing this on a one-time prospecting event where you walk into a business and are given the objection "we're not interested" or are you basing this on a sales scenario where you have met with a prospect, gone through your complete sales cycle and then told at the end "we're not interested"? -robhalv1

"Well it's obvious that bluenote and MitchM are convinced that walking away is the best option and that is fair enough. However I am curious as to whether you both are basing your opinion's on a first meeting or a meeting following your complete sales cycle." - Rob

Sometimes it's walk away for good and other times it's after repeated calls. -

"In other words, are you basing this on a one-time prospecting event where you walk into a business and are given the objection "we're not interested" or are you basing this on a sales scenario where you have met with a prospect, gone through your complete sales cycle and then told at the end "we're not interested"?" - Rob

It can be a one-time prospecting event. Also, sometimes I am convinced there is a sale pending BUT in the end that person changes his/her mind after what you call the sales cycle.

I do my best to eliminate as many people as possible - disqualify them - so my appointments are fewer but yield is higher. That gives me more time to do the other things I enjoy doing without beating my head on imaginary walls and producing my own stress.

MitchM -MitchM

Without some better understanding of the position in the sales cycle, this thread is meandering.

IF the suspect has been qualified and "not interested" comes up after having been fully qualified ... move on. Ensure that both parties are clear on what's transpired, maintain files and contact but the time, price point, (whatever) simply isn't right. You need to know before you leave ... Columbo close?

IF the suspect has NOT been fully qualified and this comes up, I'd ask, "...just to make it perfectly clear in my mind, what is that you're not interested in: is it the (feature)? is it the price? is it our service capability?" (go until you hit on something).

One of 3 things is happening:
1. you're missing something which you've gone over with the suspect; or,
2. the suspect is missing something which you think has been provided; or,
3. you're getting jerked around;

Mitch's comment is bang on the money ("YES - of course. That obviously doesn't mean 100% of the time it will be written today or that it will be written").

The fact that there are NO guarantees in sales is why IRS & RevCan allow us to write-off expenses against the commission portion of our incomes!

It's good to be assumptive but it's not good to dream on-the-job!

You need to get some closure on where you stand.

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat -OUTSource Sales

Good call WobblyBox.

Well written post Pat. -SpeedRacer

Exactly my point! -robhalv1

"The fact that there are NO guarantees in sales is why IRS & RevCan allow us to write-off expenses against the commission portion of our incomes!" -- Pat

Excellent!!!
MitchM -MitchM

Skip,

You are a consultant/sales trainer in the business to consumer markets correct?

You state your specialties as - Ideal Clients: Companies that have a sales force that sells to consumers (in-home selling, retail selling, showroom sales, investment and insurance, real estate sales, etc.).

Using this as an example, can you name one of those fields that you can not get paid for your products and services "today"?

I have sold a wide range of products and services from small $100 ads in the local newspapers to multi-million dollar contracts for institutional CD investments over the years. In between there have been auto sales, showroom sales, in-home selling, high-end advertising etc...

Getting paid in the same sitting with any of the above clients, is simply not an issue when you're only working with the clients who you should be spending your time with.

In fields that are above what I'm experienced with, the same basic philosophies and principals hold true. Mitch has already given examples of the mutual commitments required. -bluenote

Bluenote, thanks for your question. It's a good question. I have never said that someone cannot get paid today. Anything is possible.

But, your point has been that a salesperson should only spend time with someone who is ready, willing, and able to write a check today. That may be difficult if you sell swimming pools; home additions; jewelry; cars, landscaping, etc. Also in this category of prospects is anybody that needs to know what something costs or what the capability of the seller are, or has custom design work included as part of the selling process.

Is someone going to buy a car without a test drive? Probably not. Therefore, they need a test drive, and may well likely need more than that from the salesperson. Most consumers are not "ready, willing, and able" to buy a car when they walk into a showroom. At that point, it's too early to figure out who is ready to buy a car today. What these prospects are is interested enough to walk into a car dealership or walk onto the lot. They're not ready to give the salesperson a check because they may not (probably don't) even know what they want at that point. Now, if the salesperson works with the prospect and doesn't disqualify them prematurely, the prospect may well buy today.

As I've stated before, I agree with selling to those who are ready, willing, and able to buy. But I also know that, realistically, in many areas of selling, the majority of customers are going to come from outside the group of people who are ready, willing, and able to write a check today. They may become ready as the sales dialogue continues, however.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Using your examples of swimming pools, home extensions, plans being drawn etc... Having a signed contract and a deposit in your hand at the end of your meeting constitutes getting paid.

I was in automotive sales for quite a while in various capacities - I have sold hundreds of vehicles over the years to folks and families who "never took a test drive" or told me "we had no intentions of buying this car today". There are two sentences that qualify a car buyer when they walk into your showroom. This takes less than 10 seconds, separates the tire kicker from the buyer and preserves your valuable time.

Clearly we are not going to agree with each others sales philosophies Skip. Each have been beaten to death in every shape, style and form all over this forum. In fact, I've received hate mail from the way I express myself here, which I find amusing coming from a spineless anonymous internet user.

So, as the saying goes, we'll have to agree to disagree. -bluenote

What are the two sentences? -Thomas

Jacques, with all due respect, nobody is more repetitive on SalesPractice than you are. Virtually every post is a variation on "sell only to those who want to buy" and "sell only to those who are ready, willing, and able to buy." (or else it's self-promotion of your book or your company).

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

You might count the number of times that Skip has posted and the number of times I have posted in this thread. I have not counted, but my guess is that it's at least 2 to 1.

Then, count the number of words that each of us have posted. It's probably more like 10 to 1. -JacquesWerth

Of course they are not interested....It is your job to get them interested, because if you don't someone else will!! Does not matter what you are selling....they are interested!! -rwilfong

Don't know if I responded before, but from experience, I have found the best way to overcome that is to improve your presentation. -Wonderboy

[quote=Training;28220]Hi to all. I'm new here and will drop by occasionally.



You can't believe how that response can impact a prospect. It would place them on the defensive and they quite often then gave him something he could grab onto.

One sequence I know about: (P) Prospect; (S) Salesperson

P: I'm not interested
S: Then why did you invite me here?

P: What do you mean?
S: George, I'm confused. We briefly talked about (product) and you said you've been considering it off and on for months. What changed in the last five days to wipe out your interest?

At that point George has to come up with something. It might be baloney or could be real...but he has to respond.



I would add to that that anything that makes the prospect come up with an answer you DONT WANT is a bad strategy. I personally would spend more time with the set up than the close. -girlclozer

If i ever get any rejection, then i have to eliminate the risks the buyer is concerned with, one by one. -MoneyMaker

Close!Close!Close!

"Mr/Miss.Prospect, what is about moving forward with this product/service that is causing you to hesitate?"

OR

"What's holding you back?"

And so on and so forth. -MattyB

I have a difficult time understanding why this is an objection.First reason if I am in a situation where I am talking with a client I already know there is a need. This should never enter as an objection when there is a need.
Second when cold calling I understand the not interested objection in the beginning.What I provide may not be what they need.Wouldn't I already have qualified them as a buyer if I am calling them. Getting the correct information about the client is king.
If you receive the I am not interested would you then ask how come?or why not? or how do you mean? Are they not interested at the present time, is tomorrow a better time or in a month, end of the year etc. Are they to busy at the moment to discuss the proposal.
If I did receive this objection during the meet and greet or during my proposal I would ask what concerns they had about my proposal or concerns about delivering on my promises or my company's ability to deliver.
Whenever I receive any objections I want to know why and how do they mean.My questions are geared to fact finding. What are the questions and concerns the client needs addressed.
I would not walk out I would go straight forward and find out the reason they are not interested.Then answer those concerns. -rich34232

You knowing the client's need and the client knowing his/her need are two entirely different things.

Regardless of whether "We're not interested.." is an objection or something else, it occurs most often in the very early stage of a sales process. The prospect may or may not give you the opportunity to uncover the need. In any event, you have to know their need, and they have to know their need. That's a big part of what selling is all about. But need is not the only factor that influences a sale. -Ace Coldiron

I couldn't agree with you more Ace. -Skip Anderson

Negative on the client not knowing the need.When I know the need ie pain the client also knows the need.How in the world do I know the need without proper questions to identify the need.I cannot give the client a proper solution without gaining knowledge of the need and what the client wants the product or service to do better.

I never said I am not interested was not an objection. What is implied why would that objection surface. It surfaces when I do not complete my process of qualifying,asking questions, fact finding,providing a solution and presenting the solution.
This objection should never surface if you do your homework and ask your qualifying questions asking your client to take action.
It surfaces when I did not do my homework concerning the company and the needs of the company.When there is not a need why am I there? The perception to take money from them. The I am not interested said get out of here your wasting my time.
I have four qualifying questions that must have an answer they are can the client use it,afford it ,want it, need it.These four have to have an answer before any ownership exchange transfers. -rich34232

I think Mitch has a good point here. Why would I battle with bloody liars who don't even have the ethical backbone to admit they don't understand my stuff, so they say they are not interested? As far as I'm concerned, they can just go and take a running jump at a bulldozer.

Besides, my automated lead generation/lead incubation system should take care of the buyer education bit, so by the time I meet buyers in person, they should be ready and willing to do business with me.

Using fishing language, I want my automated system to hook the fish, reel it in, cook it and ring the bell to call me to dinner. And of course, the system should do the dishes after dinner and maybe even serve the wine.

I may use this energy-saving approach because, as everyone knows on this forum, I suck at selling, but I find this method a lot easier than the traditional approach of selling at a high rejection rate. It's good for sissies like me with sensitive, thin skin. So, I've built a thick-skinned system that takes all the rejection, and meet only those buyers who have gone through my qualification system and are ready to move forward.

I know it's a disreputable way of earning a living, but the almost 100% success rate is not easy to give up.

Cheers

BD -Bald Dog

I think there are two points missing in the conversation on this thread:

1. When are we talking about "We're not interested" being injected into the conversation? During prospecting? After a presentation? During the needs and desires investigation? I propose that this one objection is actually 3 or 4 different objections, depending upon when it enters the sales conversation.

2. I know that many (most) participants at SalesPractice are B2B sales reps, but I work with B2C companies and individuals. Although lots of those folks prospect, many rely upon their marketing department to generate leads, appointments, or retail traffic. If you work in a retail store, let's say selling appliances, and someone walks into your store, you can't prequalify them to death, so many of the comments in this thread don't apply to that salesperson.

Also, if you sell in customers' homes, many (most?) of your appointments will be scheduled for you. Your job is to go into the home, meet with the prospect, and close the sale. You can't prequalify them to death or you'll end up with day after day of nobody to sell. These salespeople have the job of taking the tiny germ of prospect interest and magnifying it to the point that the customer is willing to buy.

So I would just ask that everybody here keep in mind that there is a large group of professional salespeople out there that are working in a slightly or greatly different sales environment than the typical B2B outside sales scenario. -Skip Anderson

Great point, Skip.

I think my ignorance comes from not understanding retail selling and B2C selling in general.

However, when we get the "not interested" comment is vital.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Happy new year to you all, folks.

BD -Bald Dog

I have great difficulty whenever I hear the client does not understand what I am expressing and they cannot tell me what they do not understand.
If I knew what I did not understand I would understand what you have expressed.
This means a few things.
1 we did not communicate well, no guide to our presentation confusing the client
2 what we have expressed has no bearing with the client.
3 We did not address the real issue

That is why it is always good to ask what concerns do you have with my proposal.This asks the client to speak freely and get to the real issue. -rich34232

Yes--it is very important to be sensitive to that. Many people who post here, and some have posted for a long time, reveal very little of what form of selling, or field they are in. Selling is almost too broad a term. Consider that retail firms, who focus primarily on business to consumer, often find themselves working the business to business arena and dealing with a company's chosen buying process. That would be sort of a hybrid situation in which an accomplished retail salesperson might stumble.

Another point related to that topic--if you read many of the posts here, you will notice that much discussion centers on phone work, some of it cold calling, some of it follow-up. Teleselling, and telemarketing are even two different fields. Those are vastly different occupations than face-to-face selling and presenting. Account management selling has little to do with many of the discussions here, but makes up a significant portion that we throw under the general term "selling".

Two things that would be common to success in any arena of sales are proactivity and work ethic. -Ace Coldiron