I want to think about it

marky

Imagine the situation, you’ve spent 45 - 75 minutes with a prospective customer, understanding them and their needs, demonstrating the product that suits them - they like it! You’ve explained your pricing and terms of payment and delivery. After asking a closing question the customer says ''I want to think about it'' so you explore and handle the concern and try to gain commitment now, but the customer is adamant that they want to ''sleep on it''. This customer is going to walk. The question is - what do you say now, just before they leave and when you follow them up a day or two later?

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Mark Brown

jrboyd

"I perfectly understand Mr. Customer. It's a very important decision. But before you go may I ask something sir? You do like the product right? It is what you were looking for? And have I done anything to offend you? Was it something I did? Ok so if its not the product and it's not me, then what is it you aren't sure about?"

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rich34232

Trust and value not enough of it for the client. What exactly is there to think aout? It is either the proposal or the price.

Mr. Client do you have any concerns with my proposal? If no is it the price? Find out if there is any unanswwered concerns about the proposal asking questions to gain more knowledge

Ask if they have any doubts about your ability to perform your promises.The ability of your company to deliver on said promises. You are narrowong down the objection to price.

Once there ask if price is a concern with moving forward today.If it is ask why it is.Ask how much to muchj.When you ask a person what they were thinking to pay today they gve you a really low ball number. By asking how much to much a suggested price closer to yours will be relayed to you from the client.

Once you get to the real concern of price there are a thousdand ways to answer that concern depending on your clients emotion,education of the product,attitude etc.

sfrenkel

These are valid points and I understand the underlying question, especially if your gut tells you the client is going to walk.

It's also important to give a customer time to think when making a big decision with a big price tag. I'll typically ask about their objections or what would get in the way of moving forward (I stay away from the "have I offended you", etc. because I don't want to be too pushy or seem too needy). If they still need time, I'm simply respectful and firm.

"I understand this is a big decision and you need time to think about it. May I ask what factors you're considering or what will go into your thought process moving forward? I want you to take as much time as you need because I want you to be happy with the decision. When do you think I should follow up? Can we put time on our calendars now since I know things come up?"

It's important to find the balance between firm and respectful. Pushing them into a decision they're not ready to make yet could backfire on you. Of course, losing the sale will have its consequences too!

Best,
Stephen

marky

What if you don't close them and they do walk, what next? If I was spending $15,000 I may want to mull it over, equate it in my own mind, sleep on it. But as a sales person I wouldn't want to let the prospect walk and never talk to her again. So what is the best way to handle the departure and then the re-contact?

Skip Anderson

Here's what I teach in that situation (although I think it's important for all to understand that many customers like this can still be closed immediately):

"Great! That sounds like a good plan [that's called validating the prospect, and is very important and often overlooked but shouldn't be!]. What do you think you'll do?"

About 50% of the time, your prospect will bite on your question, and you'll end up having dialog about what's going on, often time resulting in being able to close the order on the spot. The other 50% of the time you end up having to give the prospect their "sleep on it" time.

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sfrenkel

Marky,

That's why I get time on their calendar right then and there. Give them the time to think it over, but get one step closer by asking them for another commitment.

If you're reasonable and agree to give them time without seeming stressed about the close, I believe you exude confidence in yourself and your product, which never hurts.

Stephen

rich34232

Here is why I disagree . They know they are going for a big ticket item. The client knows what they want and how much more they are willing to spend. I ask myself what exactly is there to think about. I then ask them what part that needs attention.
Sure there are going to be some that split and really think about it.Others are going to blaze a trail to the next dealer.Why not let that dealer be you.Each client is different, a solid answer cannot be given as to what I say.Skip has a rock solid question to ask the client. Mine is similar be more blunt in asking what do you have to think about?
Quite often we make this thing called sales a lot more difficult than it really is. We always think we must be clever in the way we ask our questions. Many times the proper question is the easy question. If we want to know what motivates our owners, ask them.Take the guess work out of it.
I always try to recommend to others never to sell the way they buy. I wil say look at what you do when you want to buy a car boat. You research. You have an idea of what you want. You know the dollars you are willing to spend.What is it that you have to think about. Could it be the trust? Probably most of the time it is the trust with the dealer and sales person.The product and dollars have already been decided before they enter your place of business in most cases

jrboyd

If they have to think about it then they aren't sure about something. It's either the product your company or you as a salesman. OR you skipped steps and didn't build enough value in the presentation. People who don't think one of those 3 is worth it are scared to tell you no. Instead they will usually say "Give me some time to think about it." Find out what they need to think about. Reduce their concerns to the ridiculus. Also get some sort of commitment from them before you even get to the close.

"So Mr. Customer, if I can show you how to fit our product into your monthly budget, is there any reason we can't do business today?"

Then when you show them how they can afford your product and they through that objection in you can always go back to that commitment. Put the commitment in writing and have them sign. (Car Sales Example)
"I, (Customers Name), will take delivery of this vehicle if payments do not exceed $540 a month, with $5,000 down and you get me $2,000 for my trade" x_______________ (signature)

That way when you show them payments of 530 a month with 2000 for trade and 5k down and they throw that objection at you you can say:

"Mr. Customer, did I do something to offend you? I was just wondering because I thought you had agreed that if I got you payments of 540/month w/ 5k down and 2000 for your trade, we had a deal. I've got you all that and now your telling me that you still need to think about it. I must have done something to upset you, because I have given you what you wanted and you still don't want to do business. I apologize for whatever I did sir, let me get another salesperson to assist you because I don't want you to miss out on such a good deal."

sfrenkel

Part of the problem with this approach is that it seems heavy handed to me. No matter how sincere you are, you're now telling the customer that the only way for them to tell you that you haven't offended them is to buy a car from you. This feels like manipulation to me.

The comments posted in this thread have not taken into account the other factors that a buyer SHOULD be considering (as I do when I buy a car), namely - the total cost to them over the life of the loan. You can bring monthly payments down to $1/month if you finance a car for 50 years (I'm making that figure up, by the way), but a smart buyer will be concerned about the total cost to them over the life of the loan.

Do your homework and do your best but, especially in the car industry, be careful about manipulating your customers (or doing anything that can be perceived as such) - buyers are wary!

In my first several car purchases, I left feeling like I missed something because I didn't take the time I needed. I now ALWAYS leave and come back. It has NOTHING to do with the salesperson, just personal preference and experience telling me to think about an important decision and consider everything for longer than the 30-60 minutes that I've been at the dealership. I return, but never if I'm being pressured (and I tell the dealer that!).

Stephen