how to go from no to close
The art of turning a No to a Close is not something that is mastered overnight, it takes persistence and determination. Our No Lead Left Behind Philosophy was created from people saying No. Everyone has heard some sort of cliché similar to “every no being a step closer to a yes”, or “a no is really only a yes in disguise”, but most not everyone understands what that means and how to apply it to helping obtain more closed business.
So what does a No really mean?
To help better understand what it means it’s important to look at the circumstances surrounding the No. Was the No just a person being busy and trying to get off the phone? If so, hopefully it’s not being treated as a closed door. The details of the reason behind a someone not wanting to progress a conversation further are extremely important. Certain types of people understand this more than others. First of all, it’s imperative to have thick enough skin to move past someone shutting you down and to understand what they really meant by it.
Expect the initial outcome to be a No…
The ability to understand the human element of why the No took place and progress is extremely important to the success of our company, or really any company for that matter. We have to always understand the human impact of business on a day-to-day basis. Look no further than the last time you said No someone to get a glimpse of how that person had to respond. Some are easier to handle than others, but all of them will leave a small scar if you let them. No one likes giving their best, and putting a ton of effort into something, just to be shot down. But hat doesn’t have to be the end all be all. Like previously mentioned, determining the reason, like someone having a bad day, or it being a bad time of the day, are very important to understanding the potential opportunity being presented.
Open ended questions are of the utmost importance.
Asking the right questions to put yourself in a position to quote when you know they are considering vendors again is the most important thing someone can do to make the best out of a seemingly bad situation. Not to mention, the familiarity of speaking to someone you’ve spoke with in the past always opens more doors than it closes. We always make a point when prospecting to simply ask enough open ended questions to progress the conversation while obtaining valuable intelligence to be used at a later date. Progression is the key. Making sure each conversation is forward moving is vital to each and every prospect interaction. In the end opportunity is in everything as long as you’re looking for it and seeing the positive in every situation.