Archive for January, 2010
The first of the year is here. Any other excuses?
In the best of economies, people who can get away with it shut down mentally around Halloween. Any and all decisions that don’t involve matters of life and death are deferred until “after the first of the year.”
Well, the first of the year is here.
The people who use “after the first of the year” as an excuse for not taking action will, more often than not, fins some new excuse now that the first of the year has arrived. More often than not, it will be “I need to see how I do on my taxes”…as we approach April 1st, that particular dodge will become much more prevalent.
Your job, as a professional salesperson, is to recognize when prospects are being less than honest and direct with you. It is OK to come right out and challenge their excuses. It is OK to give them permission to not do business you. Remember…when a prospect balks at telling you they are not interested in what you are offering, they are not doing it to spare your feelings. They are doing it to avoid conflict or confrontation. They are thinking about themselves. They are always thinking about themselves. As soon as you give them permission to say “not interested,” you have freed yourself up to seek out the prospects who are interested.
