Every once and a while you can overcome an objection with silence: “The Pause.” You do this by not saying anything for at least seven to ten seconds. In the world of closing that is a long time. Tick.. tick…tick…tick….tick…tick…. tick….. tick….tick. When you don’t respond you maintain control. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, sometimes your customer will “fire from the hip”. You need to gather your composure before you respond, so you do not get defensive. You want time to collect your thoughts. And second, there is actually a more important reason that is not addressed very often. Sometimes what salespeople perceive, as an objection is really just prospects thinking out loud. If you wait a moment, prospects might “overcome” their own
objection.
When I first started selling I learned a lot from Tom Spencer, a fellow salesperson, who for the most part would not even acknowledge an objection. Customer: “I really wanted $1,200 more for my trade.” Spencer: Silence, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…….. Customer: “I knew I could not get it, but Consumer Reports said I should at least try.” Then they go on “that’s a good deal….Okay, sign me up.”This happened a lot. Do not jump in. Take your time. You will get more sales.
Executing the pause means there is no reason for you to utter a word. Some salespeople just can’t wait to jump in and answer the customers question and or objection. Have you ever seen a salesperson interrupt a customer long before they even have the objection clearly stated? Take your time, listen, pause, frame the objection and then be ready to answer. In the meantime the customer may answer their own objection before you are able to answer. If you give them the space and you just keep your mouth shut.
However, if you cannot overcome the final objection you have one and only one choice left. You have to return and immediately hand the deal to your sales manager. Never get into the ABC close. Most unskilled salespeople never hear the final objection until it is too late. By this time they are reduced to the ABC close, which is humiliating and seldom gets you a sale.
A=Ask if that does not work they go to B
B=Beg if that does not work they go to C
C=Cry….never lower yourself to this level.
If this ever happens to you, you are not prepared. You need to practice. Seldom do they ask for the sale so they start to beg for the sale, and finally start to cry in order to make the sale. They have given away all the gross and are on all fours literally begging for a mini deal. They only convert 1 out of 6-7-8. Who are your happiest customers? Big Grosses? Or the Mini Deals? Never, Never Beg for a Deal.
