Getting to "No" Part 5: Know When to Say "No"

So we’ve finally arrived at Step 5 in our Getting to “NO” series, and I hope you’re prepared; this is going to be the most difficult step of all. This is where you learn to exercise your power to say “No” to the prospect. Yes, you read that right. Sometimes, when all other measures to get a “No” have failed, you have to take it upon yourself to say it. Why would you ever need to tell a prospect “No”, though?

Sometimes you have to say “No” because the prospect refuses to do it for you. You did everything right: you got agreement from the prospect that they would tell you “No” if it didn’t seem like a good fit. You asked all the right questions. It’s abvious to you that your offering doesn’t align with the values and goals your prospect identified as important to them. And yet here the prospect is, asking you for a formal proposal so she can look it over and get back to you.

You know in your heart that it’s just a stall tactic, and that she’s just trying to dodge a sale that you aren’t even trying to make. And yet you still feel that tug of excitement because it sounds like a “Maybe”, and “Maybe”, despite my best warnings, is still pretty tempting. After all, sometimes “Maybe” becomes “Yes”.

Remember, though, that “Maybe” is the siren song of the salesperson. It’s calling you to shipwreck on its rocky shores. Don’t take the bait. Resist the temptation to play the “Maybe” game. As difficult as it may be, it’s time for you to walk away.

How do you extract yourself from the situation, though, without causing offense? Once again, our good friend honesty comes to the rescue. Simply tell the prospect what you’re thinking. Make it clear that you believe your offering isn’t a good match for them, and be prepared to offer a detailed explanation for your assessment of the situation. It’s likely that won’t be necessary, but some prospects like to play the game all the way out to the end.

Still sound like a crazy idea, this saying “No” to a prospect? Consider this, then: giving in to the urge to prepare that proposal on the promise of a “Maybe” is going to cost you precious time, time that could be better spent pursuing real opportunities. As a selling professional, you only have so many hours available to you, and you need to make the best use of them. Sinking a bunch of time into chasing “Maybe”s is a sure-fire way to missing your quota, at the very least. You’d be much better served, and frankly so would your prospect, if you’d just say “No thank you” to the request for proposal.

Look, I’m not saying that every “Maybe” is a dead end; it’s true that they sometimes do turn into “Yes”. What I’m saying is that there are many other opportunities out there in your market, too many, in fact, for you to worry about whether this particular “Maybe” will end up in a “Yes”. You have an obligation, to yourself, your employer and your prospects, to spend your time working the leads that will eventually become clients, and sometimes that means you have to be the one to say ”No”.

Like it or not, that’s your job. Do we need to have the “delicate flower” conversation again? Your ability to get to “No” faster and more often, even if that means saying it yourself, is why you get paid the big bucks.

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So now that we’ve had a look at the 5 steps to get to “No” faster and more often during your prospecting and qualifying efforts, I guess we should shift gears and spend some time discussing those prospects who make it past the “No” test and, by all indications, really could be great clients. Once you’ve moved past the prospecting and qualifying phase, how do you get those prospects you want as clients to say “Yes”? I’ll devote the rest of the week to the “4 Steps to Hearing Your Favorite Answer in Sales”, starting tomorrow with an in-depth NEADS analysis (I know it’s misspelled…tune in tomorrow to find out why).

Cheers!