What do most sales people do when they hear, “I want to think about it”?
Can you relate to an answer like this?
“Okay, well, um, can I get you some more information to look at. You’re really going to enjoy reading about our fully modulating gas valve. And I’ll leave you my card with my cell phone and e-mail on it so you can call me when you make up your mind.” Ouch.
Most sales people pack up and leave. Some might give a half-hearted response, such as the one above, or try and find out what they did wrong or what they left out, but this comes across poorly. People sense how others feel. A response lacking confidence or from a “victim” perspective will push the customer away.
What do most sales people assume the customer is really saying when they hear this?
I’ve asked this question hundreds of times, and I have found that most sales people assume there is an objection to the price. Maybe—only maybe—this will be the case. You don’t know.
When customers say, “I / We need to think about it,” what are they saying literally? Are you listening to them with intent to understand them, or are you mainly focused on getting the sale?
Most of us don’t differentiate between “listening” and “hearing”. Hearing is generally defined as the physical act of sound entering the ear and being transmitted to the brain. Listening includes making the effort to comprehend what is being said. We have to be consciousabout listening and be focused on understanding what people are saying, both verbally and non verbally, if we want to understand what they are actually thinking and feeling. Semi-glazed eye contact without any intent to understand the other person is a waste of time for both of you.
I believe that most sales people hear but don’t listen to what the customer is saying. We tend to be anxious about making the sale—hoping no objections will come up—and we are thinking about what we will say next. Sound familiar? All of that gets in the way of understanding what customers are telling us. And if we don’t understand the customersand their needs, we can’t possibly provide a solution that will meet those needs. Poor listening equals poor sales success. Stop that.
Make the effort to listen to what your customers say and respond to that—not what you are imagining. Some people mean just what they say and might just intend to actually think things over. Then again some might say that as a stalling tactic. Your job is to find out which one it is and respond appropriately.
The customer said “I want to think about it.” She didn’t say go home, the price is high, or she is getting other bids. She’s thinking! Okay, so respond to that by asking, “I wonder if you can help me understand what you might be thinking about.”
If you have established rapport and built trust with your customer, then this is a soft, friendly inquiry about her thoughts. Most people will not find this pushy and will be fine with answering. Remember, as long as you’re asking and they’re answering then you are still in the game.
Both science and experience tell us that about half of all people are inclined to “think about it,” and the other half are inclined to take action and make quick decisions. Accepting that, you can expect half of those who tell you they want to think about it to really mean it. Best thing to do is honor and respect that, don’t push any harder. Create an agreement to come back, call back, e-mail or some specific follow-up connection.
For the ones inclined to take action, your simple inquiry has a good chance to ferret out the real objection. We’ll be discussing how to best handle those in upcoming articles.
For a training role-play script that I use in my seminars, go to the www.hvacrbusiness.com download center. The script includes three different techniques for handling this specific objection. Use one or use all three. They are time-testedand they work.
Remember friends, objections are a gift to you. They highlight what the customers need to have answered so they can say YES!
Tom Piscitelli is president of T.R.U.S.T.® Training and Consulting. For more information on how his System Selling In-Home Sales Call Training DVD, CD and Self-Study Workbook can help you sell more jobs at higher margins and higher prices go to www.sellingtrust.com.
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