Amateur salespeople in all parts of Wisconsin fall into thinking that there are only three outcomes to a sales call, yes – no –and some kind of a maybe. That’s the problem. They get stuck and are unsure how to interact with the prospect.
Consider this- There are actually five outcomes to every sales call.
The first outcome is a simple one- Yes. (But wait, what does “Yes” actually Mean?)
Next you could hear a NO. Many folks cringe at a “NO” but actually these are great because now you can go look for more Yes’s. Remember- NO is not forever…its only for now.
The third outcome is a defined future. Defined futures are not a maybe such as, “call me next week, we’ll think it over, or you look real good.”
Think of a defined future as a mini contract. The contract is very specific. There is a time set as to when there will be another appointment. At the next meeting, certain objectives will be set such as a yes for an order, no…the process stops or an agreement to meet again at a very specific time in the future. And, all defined futures lead to either a yes / no decision.
Next- A Referral. Don’t forget to ask for referrals. If you not reminding people you are looking to connect with others, many times they forget to facilitate the introduction.
Our last outcome is a Lesson from the sales call. If you were going to be in the same situation, what would you different? If you could ask one more question, what would you ask?
Be sure to take time at the end of EVERY call or appointment to be sure to have a full understanding of what the next commitments are from all parties. Take time to Inspect what your Expect!
For more on Sandler, send me an email, happy to hop on a call and exp;ore your unique situation- ethompson@sandler.com
