Sales "Let me think about it"

[Elay Morex]

What is your answer to "let me think about it". Obviously this is just an excuse and you need to dig deeper to find the real objection. But sometimes People keep persisting on the fact that they need to "think about it". How do you make the prospect understand that making a decision is important? How do you "handle" that?

 

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[kleine2]

What is your answer to "let me think about it". Obviously this is just an excuse and you need to dig deeper to find the real objection. But sometimes People keep persisting on the fact that they need to "think about it". How do you make the prospect understand that making a decision is important? How do you "handle" that?

How long do you need to think for? Can I call you in a week?
What specifically do you want to think about? What is holding you back from making the decision right now? Can I help you with making the decision (assuming you have their best interest at heart)?
Offering a deal that is only valid until a specific date which forces them to make the decision either way by that date.

 

[RazorCut]

Lots of ways to push a customer into making a decision (time limited, ‘what will it take to get you to sign today?’ etc. etc.. All the hard nosed tactics.

I've never like hard sells so, even if I like the idea, if I’m presented with a pushy salesman then end of story. They will never get my business.

For some honesty and integrity are far more important. Sometimes not making the sale can actually work to your advantage. Instead of being pushy you acknowledge that now may not the best time. Either the product doesn’t quite fit, or the client isn’t where he/she needs to be to benefit or 100 other reasons.

When you get that vibe and know there is no sale coming sometimes the best way forward is to back off. Thank them, tell them you’d hate for them to make a purchase and find it’s not the perfect fit. So you’ll leave them with your details should circumstances change and wish them well.

I’ve seen this in action and believe me the potential customer was stunned to silence. Even though he knew the product wasn’t what he really wanted he then started to try to find a reason to buy it. It’s an odd psychology as they feel a loss because the salesman has decided not to make the sale, not them. He’s taken away the opportunity.

Often that will result in a sale a month or so down the line or someone calling you out of the blue because ‘Bob’ passed on your number as he thought you could help them.

Honestly and integrity are rare commodities these days and will make you stand out from the crowd.

 

[Kevin88660]

What is your answer to "let me think about it". Obviously this is just an excuse and you need to dig deeper to find the real objection. But sometimes People keep persisting on the fact that they need to "think about it". How do you make the prospect understand that making a decision is important? How do you "handle" that?

Depends on what you are selling.

If you are selling a small ticket item on the road you should just push it because there is no reason to consider, and arranging the next appointment is simply not worth it for either party. It is a now or never situation.

if you are selling anything that is more expensive people generally want to consider.

if you are the Party who initiated the sales appointment and your prospect says that to you most likely what he means is “this is not on my agenda now and I want to postphone the decision forever until I feels like it.”

if your prospect calls you to discuss on sales and he tells you he wants to consider the sincerity on the need is there. Likely he wants to compare quotes with three competitors.

The second scenario is easy..you have to win the bidding war on price or quality or whatever. It is the first scenario that people fight it difficult to deal with.

Should you wait to accommodate your customer or try to wrestling your way as politely as possible to put this as a priority knowing he will hate you doing that no matter how you tactfully do that?

My view is if you could afford to wait, means your potential prospect pool is very large, most B to C sales for example waiting is always a good thing. You are not wasting your time either when you are speaking to other customers.

We are living in the internet age where customers are empowered and they should be. The idea that customers should even spare time to consider a sales persons agenda before his own (worry about his job, his business or his family) is a salesman’s delusion. I know a lot of books will teach you to “create an urgency” what there is no way you can get around sugarcoating a selfish agenda which fundamentally a prospect will find repulsive. The win win situation is to let him feel and be in control of the progress and not waste your time. Just wait and do your follow up with no pressure on your prospect.

However if your potential pool of client is small, small b2b space with limited prospect, a waiting time too long will hurt your sales result for sure. Very soon you will find everyone waiting and no one you can speak to. Then there is no choice but to try to tactically do the hard thing, using questions and try to take control of the agenda to shorten the sales cycle, such as asking him whats holding him back and what would be a good time (not too long) you can meet him again to address his concern.

 

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[sparechange]

Show them the door and kick them as hard as you can out, then look for the customer that needs to needs to do business with you.

I've dealt with tons and tons of rejections, people tell me to **** off, close a door on me whatever. But the next one was a sale, keep going and don't beg and plead. In a world FILLED with consumers you just need to find the one that will benefit from your service or product.

Analyzing your numbers is important though, if you go through 100 pitches and 90 of them were failures, it could be possible that what you are offering is not desired in the marketplace. If possible ( I don't have much experience with this ) maybe you could try offering a sample/trial period.

 

[jlwilliams]

I wish I had a better answer but in my experience "let me think about it" is a soft "no."

 

[Wil22]

What is your answer to "let me think about it". Obviously this is just an excuse and you need to dig deeper to find the real objection. But sometimes People keep persisting on the fact that they need to "think about it". How do you make the prospect understand that making a decision is important? How do you "handle" that?

As a sales trainer and coach this is a classic response from a non-interested prospect. Sales is a process. Sorry to say you missed a few steps of eliciting agreement along the way. If they agreed they need your product, they are the decision maker, it’s within budget, it solves the “pain” the prospect has with an agreed delivery date etc, then all objections have been met before presentation. If you covered all the steps, why the stall? Which objection did you miss before telling them how your product/service is their best solution. If it isn’t, say so, make a better recommendation and move on.

 

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