Post by rafiromy on Apr 30, 2024 11:10:42 GMT 4
It is difficult to leave, especially if a promising deal looms ahead. You've spent time, energy, and resources trying to make the relationship work, and if you give up, it was all in vain. But in the long run, understanding when to walk away and abandon clients will help you optimize your efforts and, as a result, sell your services more effectively. Every minute you spend working on an impossible or unprofitable deal could be spent working on a doable and profitable deal. Even if you can convince an unsuitable client to buy something, you're setting yourself up for an unsatisfactory relationship and a potential hit to your reputation. To avoid the pitfalls of dealing with unqualified prospects, pay attention to these seven important signs that you should walk away from a deal. 7 SIGNS THAT YOU NEED TO WALK AWAY FROM POTENTIAL CLIENTS 1. They can't answer three questions. Selling sometimes requires detective skills. You have to uncover your prospects' pain points, figure out what they mean (which isn't always what they say), tailor your messaging to their priorities, but you can't do all that work.
According to Colleen Francis, author of The Continuous Sales Boom, salespeople should avoid prospects who can't answer three questions: When can this project be considered successful? Who else will be involved in decision making? When should this project be completed? If a prospect answers “I don’t know” to any of these questions, they are either not serious enough or not empowered to make decisions. In the latter case, it is not necessary to cut from CPA Email List the shoulder. During the approval process, whoever actually makes the decisions will ask them the same questions anyway. Without a satisfactory answer there will be no progress. Before you give up, try saying, “I'm worried that if we can't figure out what you hope to accomplish and by when, we'll be wasting your time. Perhaps we should postpone this conversation? 2. They (really) have no money The client has no money Sales professionals are used to hearing the phrases: “We don’t have the money” and “I can’t afford this expense.” But this is not a reason to give up. Many potential clients use phrases like this as an excuse to hang up. However, some companies won't actually be able to afford your product.
You can find out if this is true by doing a little research. Here are questions to ask yourself: What is the revenue of your potential client's company? Is the client trying to find funds to prove the value of the purchase to his superiors or in the hope that the financial situation will improve soon? If you changed your billing terms or offered a small discount, would that make a difference? Do you typically sell to companies of this size with roughly the same revenue? If the answers are completely out of line with what you have to offer, you're probably out of that prospect's price range. Instead of walking away from a deal without warning, gently lead up to it by saying, “Given what you told me about your budget, I don’t think our product is right for you.” Add some pluses to your karma by adding, “I would recommend (Company A) or (Company B) – either should be able to meet your needs within your budget.” Now that you've built a good reputation, it's time to ask for a recommendation. Ask the question: “Do you know anyone who is looking for a stronger solution?
According to Colleen Francis, author of The Continuous Sales Boom, salespeople should avoid prospects who can't answer three questions: When can this project be considered successful? Who else will be involved in decision making? When should this project be completed? If a prospect answers “I don’t know” to any of these questions, they are either not serious enough or not empowered to make decisions. In the latter case, it is not necessary to cut from CPA Email List the shoulder. During the approval process, whoever actually makes the decisions will ask them the same questions anyway. Without a satisfactory answer there will be no progress. Before you give up, try saying, “I'm worried that if we can't figure out what you hope to accomplish and by when, we'll be wasting your time. Perhaps we should postpone this conversation? 2. They (really) have no money The client has no money Sales professionals are used to hearing the phrases: “We don’t have the money” and “I can’t afford this expense.” But this is not a reason to give up. Many potential clients use phrases like this as an excuse to hang up. However, some companies won't actually be able to afford your product.
You can find out if this is true by doing a little research. Here are questions to ask yourself: What is the revenue of your potential client's company? Is the client trying to find funds to prove the value of the purchase to his superiors or in the hope that the financial situation will improve soon? If you changed your billing terms or offered a small discount, would that make a difference? Do you typically sell to companies of this size with roughly the same revenue? If the answers are completely out of line with what you have to offer, you're probably out of that prospect's price range. Instead of walking away from a deal without warning, gently lead up to it by saying, “Given what you told me about your budget, I don’t think our product is right for you.” Add some pluses to your karma by adding, “I would recommend (Company A) or (Company B) – either should be able to meet your needs within your budget.” Now that you've built a good reputation, it's time to ask for a recommendation. Ask the question: “Do you know anyone who is looking for a stronger solution?