Learn the art and rewards of negative selling
If you walk into a car showroom or a furniture store,
salespeople are waiting to pounce on you. The phone
solicitors drive you nuts trying to make sales.
You become almost paranoid of salespeople. Through so much
sales pressure repetition, the negative reaction of
responding no, changes from your conscious mind to your
subconscious mind. At this stage saying no to a salesperson
is set on automatic.Remember that the conscious mind
respond to what your subconscious has learned.
HOW YOUR MIND HAS BEEN OVER TRAINED TO SAY NO
Let's use the example of someone calling you to switch
telephone service. (Questions and Answers) Remember that
the sales agent is reading from a script, and must not stop
until he is told "NO" at least 8 times.
1. Q = If I could show you a way to save money without
losing any benefits, you would be interested, right? A = No
(your subconscious is thinking salesman = no. So don't give
a commitment answer.
2. Q = I'm sure that if I could lower your rates, then it
would help you, right? A = No (I'm really content without
making a change.
3. Q = For our new customers, we are providing a new red
phone, isn't that great? A= No (I like my phone and don't
like red)
4. Q = Can you tell me what your current phone bill costs,
so I can tell you how much you save? A = NO (Your brain
thinks It's not really any of his business)
5. Q = We save the average customer, over 20%, and that
savings could be yours okay? A = NO (Your brain is going
into automatic NO mode).
6. Q = We will have a representative in your area on
Thursday afternoon, will this be good for you? A = NO (I'm
trying to get this pressure loaded salesman off the phone).
7. Q =. Well our offer is for a limited time, the next 30
days, so will next week be better? A = NO (your are
getting upset and want off the phone)
8. Q = How about faxing me your current bill, and I will
get back to you? A = NO (at this point, that's 8 times you
said no, so you hang up the phone. You just defeated
ANOTHER sales person.
Wow, you made it through the hard way, congratulations for
you patience. My mind is trained, like yours, that whenever
a sales agent wants me to say "Yes", I think the opposite.
I don't want to be mean, but my patience level with script
salespeople is very abrupt. When I get the "If I could show
you a way", my mind is already thinking of getting get off
the phone quickly. I respond by simply saying "not
interested", while hanging up the phone as the salesperson
is still talking.
Never work hard trying to overcome no answers. I just
knocked the breath out of dozens of sales managers with
that statement.
If you ask a client if they want to benefit, their brain
automatically responds "no". Tell a client they probably
can't afford your offer, their brain automatically thinks
"who are you to tell me I can't".
THE ART OF NEGATIVE SELLING is a technique not found in any
sales script or taught by hardly any sales managers. It is
not so much negative, as it is opposite. What you are doing
is asking for information and questions in a way that your
prospect has extreme difficulty answering automatically.
Plus you have to have the nerve to make your presentation
plan the opposite any other salesperson.
MY EXAMPLE. Years ago I developed an entirely different
technique selling insurance to senior citizens, that would
be just as effective as today. First, when I had a number
of leads or senior citizen in one area, I was ready to
start selling. I didn't call for an appointment, as this
was the perfect opportunity for the client to tell me "NO",
the word I never wanted to hear even once. Upon arriving, I
would knock on the door in casual (no suit an tie) clothes.
My first question was, "My name is Don and I'm here to
explain your Medicare and Insurance benefits, I took the
chance you would be home." "Is your spouse here also?".
Her response, "Yes, let me get him, come on in." I caught
them off guard by my sudden visit, and I never asked them
it this was a good time.
I then said, "This will take about 20 minutes to explain
your government benefits and insurance, can we sit at the
table". Reply was "yes". I was keeping command, not
allowing the prospective client to control me. Next, I said
"could you bring out any insurance policies you have so you
can see how they fit with your federal benefits". Response
was, "Yes, I will get them."
Now I had all the ammo I needed. I quickly explained the
benefits of Medicare and their Medicare supplement policy,
along with the lack of long term care benefits for nursing
care. I then ask, "Do you know of anyone who ended up in a
nursing home, or had to have a nurse come in to provide
services." Of course the answer was yes. I then take a
chance (closer test), and say, "You probably have enough
money put away to handle a couple of years of care, right?
Upon hesitation, one of them would answer "probably not
enough". I then say, "let me take 5 minutes showing you two
options that might be of benefits. I then present a low
cost plan and a higher cost one. My next statement is.
"you might not ever need either of these, and the higher
cost one you might not be able to afford, so which one
looks best? Their minds start spinning with thoughts like
"what makes him think I can't afford it, and how does he
know I or my spouse might not have a sudden health turn.
More often than not they will choose the higher premium
plan, and if one spouse says "I don't know", then the other
says "if you won't pay for it, I will".
Overcome the objection "I'm undecided, and I need to think
about it, I'll give you a call" If you believe you still
have a good chance, you don't. The prospective client has
put himself back in charge. Your chance of going all the
way back is less than 5%. However I fell that I am at
least 55% still in control. Show the client the stack of
lead cards (make sure there are at least 30), and say " I
still have all these people to explain benefits to in the
next couple days. Could you please tell me if either you
can't afford it or you feel you afford to pay these
expenses" Keep completely quiet, do not say another word,
this is your final chance. This is where the other spouse
will often say, "Honey, we really should protect ourselves,
which one should we get?" Wham, you write the applications.
If you still can't win, ask this final question. " I learn
a lot from talking to so many other seniors. Can you please
tell me what I said wrong." This last question will get
another 5% to fold their defense. If you didn't close, just
tell yourself or even them "well it's your possible loss,
not mine", and go on to the next house. Remember that the
older your client is, the more times the brain has
automatically been trained to say no.
Close off your prospect's negative, but automatic response
about salespeople from functioning. You have to start
instantly at the front door or you might get kicked out the
back door.
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Enjoy the challenge of writing articles that often take the
opposite direction to achieve higher goals. That's Don
Yerke, a long time sales pro, master at direct marketing,
adviser, and article writer. Look up the marketing website
at http://www.direct-marketing-mailing-lists-brokers.com
and you will find informative, controversial, and
innovative articles.
