Different Perspectives: Is Sales Really About Getting to “Yes”?
Jerry Kennedy | February 22nd, 2010 - 8:00 amHere’s a different perspective for you: I think that a successful sales career is based less on your ability to get people to say “Yes” and more on your ability to get to “No” faster and more often.
Unless you want to be the kind manipulative salesperson that everyone loves to hate, you can’t really “get” someone else to say yes. If you were one of those types, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article to begin with. Those kind of mouth-breathing bottom feeders are not typically the kind to hang out here, trying to become a better caliber of salesperson. They’re more likely to spend their time on “yellow-highlighter” pages, learning the latest mind-control sales tips.
If you’re here, reading posts by the likes of Skip Anderson and Tibor Shanto and Cindy King (and all the other incredible minds that hang out here on the SBU), I’m guessing it’s because you want to be the kind of salespeson that’s admired and respected by your employers, peers and customers. If that’s true, you have to become a master of getting people to say “No” as quickly and efficiently as possible. Why? Because in most cases the alternative to “No” is not “Yes”; it’s one of the 1001 variations of “Maybe” that prospects learn in “Sales Avoidance” class.
We all know that getting to “Yes” is the ultimate goal in a sales situation. ”Yes” is what pays the bills. ”Yes” is what makes all the “No”s worthwhile. ”Yes” is what we dream of at night. ”Yes” is every salesperson’s favorite word, no doubt about it. It’s just that hearing it is such an infrequent occurence, compared to the number of times we hear “No”, that we sometimes fall into the trap of believing that “Maybe” is a good substitute.
Hear this: “Maybe” is not your friend. In fact, “Maybe”, left unchecked, will kill your career. ”Maybe” will keep you guessing indefinitely and chasing opportunities that have the same likelihood of converting to sales as my chances of winning on American Idol.
You know what I’m talking about: you make your presentation and the prospect says, “Thanks for your time…We need to think it over,” and off you go, thinking you’ve actually got a shot. You call in a few days to “follow up” and the prospect says they are still thinking things over. You call back after a few more days, and you get voicemail. You leave a message, it never gets returned, and you just keep up the illusion, all the while telling your manager that you’ve got a “really good feeling” about this one. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if the prospect had just said “No”?
Of course it would. It would have freed you up to go after all the other thousands of prospects out there who actually want to buy your product from you. It would have prevented all that frustrating wheel-spinning. It would have made you a better saleperson because it would have caused you to analyze what you could have done differently to improve your chances at getting a “Yes” next time out.
Want to be a better salesperson? Stop obsessing about “Yes” and never, under any circumstances, settle for “Maybe”. Instead, become a master of getting to “No” better, faster and more frequently. Because believe me, the more times you here “No”, the closer you are to hearing “Yes”.
And if you want to become a master of getting to “No”, check out my blog over the coming week. I’m going to be posting a series called “5 Ways To Get the 2nd Best Answer”, all about mastering the art of “No”. Come on over and learn to love the sound of “No”!
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9 Responses to “Different Perspectives: Is Sales Really About Getting to “Yes”?”
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Hi Jerry
Great point and really got me thinking about goals during engagements. So often we tend to go in with canned scripts which really don’t bode well for most clients. How much better if we learned to listen and then playback that which will lead customers to thinking rather than reacting. For it is in thinking that they will be able to establish value within the context of their situation.
After all, a good sales call is not a static one way communication like a spec sheet or flyer, it is very much a two way dialogue. The art of persuasion empowers us to direct that dialogue to draw attention to the things that matter to customers and then position ourselves as the answer. This is our great privilege having been given permission to present to them what we can do to help them solve a real problem.
At that point, they are not just saying yes. They are thinking YES!
Don F Perkins
[...] 5 Steps To Get To the 2nd Best Answer In Sales: Remember That “No” Doesn’t Really Mean “No” February 23, 2010 on 8:01 am | In mindset, sales | No Comments submit_url = "http://jerrykennedy.com/2010/02/23/5-steps-to-get-to-the-2nd-best-answer-in-sales-remember-that-no-doesnt-really-mean-no/"; I just finished a post over at the Sales Bloggers Union about the importance of getting to “No” faster and more frequently in order to be a successful salesperson. You can read that post here. [...]
Interesting article Jerry. It reminds me of Sun Tzu’s advice, “Know yourself and know your enemy and you will not be imperiled in 100 battles.” In other words, know when to fight and when not to. In sales it’s about knowing who to spend time with and who not to. Qualifying up front can be the difference maker.
I have to share another point of view I think is more important. I believe a big reason people don’t hear “Yes” more often is because they don’t understand the best way to make their presentation. Understanding psychology and ethically tapping into the right principles at the right time and make a big difference for the average salesperson.
In my opinion, getting good at “No” will never help you be as successful as ethically knowing how to get to “Yes.”
Brian
I love your comments about “maybe,” Jerry. That advice is, in itself, worth a great deal, not to mention the remainder of your article. And thanks for the nice mention.
@Don: Thanks for the comment, Don. Love your point about listening, and really think that more salespeople could use that advice over any other.
@Brian: Thanks for the comment. I should have been more clear that I’m talking about getting to “No” as quickly as possible in the early stages of the sales process, specifically during prospecting and qualifying phases. When you get to the later stages of presentation and conversion, you really should be looking for a “Yes”! Also, loved your point about the importance of understanding buyer psychology and decision-making tactics…so important to consider when making your presentation!
@Skip: Thanks homey! As for the mention, truer words have never been spoken. Whether you know it or not (or want to accept it or not), you’re one of my biggest influences in my online adventures. I always say to myself: WWSD? Chat soon!
Very timely. Just yesterday I made a long drive the furthermost reaches of the other side of the city to make a presentation. About 30 minutes into our discussion it was clear I was dealing with someone who was fighting me all the way. One objection after another. I said to myself, “there are too many ‘Yes’ prospects out there for me to be spending a ton of time trying to convert this ‘No’ prospect in front of me.” I found a convenient point to gracefully bring the discussion to a close and left.
[...] If you’re reading posts by the likes of Skip Anderson and Tibor Shanto and Cindy King (and all the other incredible minds that hang out on the SBU), I’m guessing it’s because you want to be the kind of salesperson that’s admired and respected by your employers, peers and customers. If that’s true, you have to become a master of getting people to say “No” as quickly and effic… [...]
Great article, I had an “oh finally someone talking sense” moment. The number of sales people I work with who spend their time chasing the maybe’s is quite alarming. Of course what we can’t ignore is the reason why this happens…avoidance. We invest emotionally in each possibility and the disappointment in NO and possibly even ego bashing that we feel means that even though we know in our hearts it’s probably a no – delaying the inevitable is more attractive. This article shows how we can find some sense of mental and emotional accomplishment in finding the NO. I will definitely be including this in my next coaching session. Thanks!
[...] time with prospects who are genuinely interested in your product, service, solution or offering and when they say “yes” they will actually mean it. AKPC_IDS += "1698,";Popularity: unranked [?]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: [...]