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Why Your Prospects Say “No” So Quickly

Prospects Say NoProspects Say No, No, No--you tried prospecting, but cold calling is not working.

You can reach decision makers, but the conversation fizzles and never gets started. "I'm not interested," you hear again and again. It's demoralizing. What's going wrong?

Why Prospects Say No

Prospects are skeptical.

They've been trained to be skeptical by bad salespeople. Imagine what happens when you have a termite problem. Do you tell the exterminator how bad the problem really is? What could happen to the price if you do? ("Oh, he really needs it! Let's get him!") So we can't get upset about it. However, we do have to deal with this.

A 'trust hurdle' is in front of you whenever you reach a new prospect. For the prospect to share with you the truth about what's going on in their world, you have to jump over this hurdle. Otherwise, you'll never get those conversations. And good conversations are what lead to sales.

The prospect is afraid of being ripped off. This explains why even free giveaways still require a sale to be completed. The trust hurdle is there regardless of the price; after all, we're not even at price yet!

So how do we overcome the trust hurdle?

First, don't try to sell.

Yes, this is counter-intuitive. But think about it: if a salesperson jumps on the line with you and starts pushing their product or service at you, how do you react? By moving away, right? Why should you expect someone else to behave differently? Is it a surprise your prospects say No?!

Instead, qualify. Should you be selling to this person at all? Do they have a need for what you offer? That's where to start. Find out if they have a need for what you offer.

Start thinking about why customers have bought your products or services. Their real reasons--not why you believe they bought. Call to find out if necessary.

This one tactic will do more for your marketing and sales than anything else.

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