Greg Bennett Sales Blog

Radio Show This Friday is on "What Do You Do AFTER You Get to NO"

On the weekly on-line radio show (Friday mornings from 8 - 9 a.m. mountain time) I'm going to be continuing from last weeks discussion on "Embracing NO"...this week I'm going to go into "What Do You Do AFTER You Get to NO"...

• How to turn people back from NO...
• How to look into the future clearly without the BS (nicey-nicey) spin...
• How to leverage a NO into something positive...

Just hit the blog Friday morning, click on the player you'll see there and we're good to rock and roll...

And PLEASE feel free to tell friends and colleagues in sales...the more the merrier..

GB

Here Are Several Audio Segments On Embracing NO

One of the main focus areas of my book, Consultative Closing, is EMBRACING NO as an entire sales culture. 

Here are some podcast segments on this topic:

1) GB's Overview of Embracing NO

What Embracing NO is all about  and why every seller and manager needs to learn to love NO vs MAYBE!

GB Talks About the Concept of Embracing NO (4:59).mp3

2)  The First of 3 Segments From a Live GB Seminar - How to Use "Going to NO" in the Closing Process

When we're Embracing NO as a culture, we must learn how to use the concept within the closing stages of a call.  Here is the first part of how to do that, from a live workshop for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche

GB in Workshop - Segment 1 on How to Use NO in the Closing Process - Getting to NO and the ISSUES (3:45).mp3

3)  The Second of 3 Segments From a Live GB Seminar - Once we Have Found the Client "Issues" It's Time to Play Some Ugly Videos

I developed this concept several years ago called "Playing Videos"...and basically it's the process of climbing inside the client's mind and seeing and hearing what we imagine they're seeing and hearing when they picture using our product or service.

GB In Workshop - Segment 2 on How to Use NO in the Closing Process - Playing Videos (3:40) .mp3

4) The Third of 3 Segments From a Live GB Seminar - Once You Play the Videos Now You Must Close By Hopping Back and Forth Between YES and NO

This is an extremely powerful and influential way to close...once we acknowledge the client's fears, and have bonded with them by playing the bad then good videos, we can begin to close by boiling everything down to the core tenants -- "Mr. Client it sounds like you're saying if this doesn't work you don't want to do it...but if it does work, you do...right?"

GB In Workshop - Segment 3 on How to Use NO in the Closing Process - Bouncing Back and Forth Between NO and YES to Let's Do This (3:35) .mp3

Embracing NO As a Culture: "It's just not natural" to go to NO

Embracing NO as a Culture is one of the chapters in my book, "Consultative Closing", being published by AMACOM in the fall of 2006, and along with the creation of Mini-Steps in the closing process, is probably the most powerful concept I've taught people over the years. 

In one of the interviews I conducted for the book, Greg Brown, Sr. Vice President, Sports for Learfield, commented on embracing NO, and said something that I think sums up why "going to no" works so well, yet is hard for some to grasp...he said -- "it's just not natural for anyone... the salesperson, the salesmanager, or the client...to go to NO"

And he's absolutely right...there is nothing natural about introducing NO into the sales equation.  Whether the conversation is between the seller and the client...the seller and the manager...or the manager and top management...we've all learned that it's just faster, easier, and less stressful to live in the make-believe world of MAYBE and WE'RE INTERESTED.

But what makes my selling style so different is that I not only acknowledge that NO might exist... I encourage everyone to embrace it as a very real possibility...and in fact race there myself as the salesperson...dragging the client behind me...then hoisting him up and setting him firmly on "NO"

Client:  "We MAY be interested...in EVENTUALLY...doing SOMETHING"

ME:  "You, Mr. Client...are at a NO...at least for now"...

Client:  "No...I wouldn't say...well...Okay...fine...I'm at a NO for now..."

ME:  "There...doesn't that feel better?"

Now we can get somewhere...

In the book Greg Brown talks about how Embracing NO has changed the culture of Learfield, and how it's made life better and more productive for clients (first and foremost)...as well as for salespeople, sales managers and the entire organization.

Please tell you friends about it...I'd love to get some good buzz going about this book before it ever comes out...

Thanks gang...

GB 

Embracing NO As a Culture: What Should Happen Right After You Get to NO

In continuing our focus on "Embracing NO as a Culture" let's talk about those moments right after you get the client to admit, "Yeoh...I guess you're right...we're at a NO"...which, oddly enough, is not something they'll easily do.   Keep in mind their favorite resting place, their comfort zone, their place-of-power ,is in the Neutral Zone...so admitting NO won't come naturally.  But it's absolutely critical we get them there so we can get at issues and start the closing process.

So now that the client has admitted he or she is at NO, there are some important steps for you to take in order to start the flushing and closing process:

1. Change your body posture to show that we've accomplished an important step...e.g. turn your notepad over, close your folder, sit back in the chair...DON'T LEAN FORWARD AND BECOME AGGRESSIVE OR LOOK DEFENSIVE OR HURT
2. Tell the client that you appreciate the honesty and it HELPS YOU to hear the truth, even if it's an ugly truth
3. Let the client know that it would help you even more if he would share why he is at a no
4. Clients, still wanting to avoid conflict will give a soft, safe answer, usually having to do with timing, or budget, etc...we need to be skeptical and assume there is something deeper, darker and uglier:

Client:   Yeah...I guess we're at a NO, at least for now anyway...the timing just isn't right for us...

You:   (sitting back...relaxing...closing notebook)...Okay, I understand...and really appreciate you being upfront with me...and what would HELP me is to understand why specifically you feel you're at a NO for now?  I know you said timing, but something tells me there's more here beneath the surface than just timing...am I right?  And again...this sort of information will really help me in the future in working with you...

Client:  Well...timing is part of it...but I think we're still leaning with the XYZ option from ABC Company...

Keep in mind that sometimes clients make stupid decisions based on bad information, poor logic, or personal relationships...and they KNOW they're making a bad decision so they're embarrassed about even telling us (especially since they've been leading us on for weeks or months, having us do all sorts of work in the process).

Our job is to understand all these tendencies and habits of the client and to be the one forcing reality into the situation.  The reality of most sales situations is that there are deeper, darker and uglier "issues" that are swimming beneath the surface...and we can only get at them by going to NO...so don't hesitate to take the plunge.

GB

In continuing our focus on "Embracing NO as a Culture" let's talk about those moments right after you get the client to admit, "Yeoh...I guess you're right...we're at a NO"...which, oddly enough, is not something they'll easily do.   Keep in mind their favorite resting place, their comfort zone, their place-of-power ,is in the Neutral Zone...so admitting NO won't come naturally.  But it's absolutely critical we get them there so we can get at issues and start the closing process.

So now that the client has admitted he or she is at NO, there are some important steps for you to take in order to start the flushing and closing process:

Embracing NO as a Culture: How You Say NO Matters

As part of "Embracing NO as a Culture", one of the three segment areas within Creating the Ultimate Sales Organization, we must get comfortable "Going to NO" as a salesperson.  In doing this, we must remember that it's not natural for clients to say NO when they think or mean NO...they normally say "maybe" or "we'll consider it".  They do this to avoid conflict and to give the salesperson some false hope.

As part of "Going to NO", salespeople must learn how to actually say the "No phrase" so it comes out the right way and doesn't sound defensive.  Sort of like..."GREAT...we're at a NO after alllllll this work I've done...this is just freaking fabulous..."

This type of attitude will obviously not get us anywhere but out the door.  We need to learn how to say NO in a certain way...a way that will open up the client to telling us the truth and allow us to get at their core issues, fears and concerns.

Here are a few for you to try:

"Tom...it seems to me that though you like a lot of what we're showing you here...we're at a NO, at least for now...how accurate is that?"  (easy...soft)

"Brittney...I've got to tell you, though you say you all are 'interested' in moving forward with us at some point...my gut tells me you're really at a NO, and I think one of the reasons is still our delivery terms...what are your thoughts on that? (Notice here I actually "hop in the ugly pond" with a reason why I think they're at NO (still my personal favorite closing strategy))

Getting salespeople comfortable actually going to NO is very difficult...it goes against every instinct we have.  And I think that's why it works so well...because every other salesperson is dealing with the client in the same exact way and they get used to lying and being deceptively positive.  When they get hit with a negative sell, or "going to NO", they aren't expecting it and they respond in more un-guarded ways.

Go on...give it a try on a small, low-risk situation...just GO TO NO, practice saying it the right way...and watch what happens.

GB