Everything about you feels that the prospect has a need for your product or service, and you are convinced it truly is the best thing for them. You're feeling confident and you begin to think of them in terms of being a customer, client or patient.

Then, out of nowhere, they tell you that they don't have a need for your product or service. What just happened? It could be:

1. YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE WRONG PERSON. Up to now, you may have been talking to a  See-more. They may have had genuine interest or they may have been lonely and just needed to talk to someone, but eventually (when it came time to begin the decision process), they had to back away.

2. THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMAGE OF YOU, YOUR COMPANY OR YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE. It could be a vicious rumor, it could be someone who has an ax to find, it could be misinformation or it could be your competition throwing you under the bus. If you don't get to the root cause, you're toast. You'd better be ready with real-life examples and testimonials of satisfied customers, clients or patients, or you may not be able to recover.

3. THEY FEEL YOUR PRICE IS TOO HIGH OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET. Human nature, even when playing with someone else's money, is to divert the truth away from not having the money. You either have to create such value and emotion that they find a way to get the money, or you need to draw it out when handling the objection, then dealing with it.

4. IT'S A KNEE-JERK REACTION. People are predisposed to say "No." When you walk into a retail store and you're approached by a sales person, who asks if they can help you, what do most people say? "No, thank you ... I'm just looking." Really? I find it a rare breed to fight the traffic and the crowd (at certain times of the year) to just look. If we were truthful, we'd say "I may or may not need your help, but for now I don't need you to sell me or pressure me, so get out of my face!"

5. THEY HAVE PRIDE IN THEIR OWN EFFORTS. Sometimes your product or service points out a weakness in what they are doing. Self-preservation then leads them to become defensive, as they try to protect their turf. You need to compliment them on what they have accomplished and offer to help them do it even better if you stand a chance to win them over.
Here's to your walking through the land mine of "no need" to arrive safely on the other side!
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Excerpt from John Patrick’s eBook entitled Sales Tips & Tools, which can be found on Amazon

Experts say that unless you do something dramatic, your mental gauge will allow your behavior to keep you at what it determines is a comfortable level.

We see that acted out every day. Why do two sales people appear to be doing the same thing - with similar skills, opportunity and work ethic - yet one appears to be successful (don't get me started on that subject), while the other struggles to survive? Most of the time, the second one's internal gauge keeps them where they are. It may come in various forms, but it usually smells like fear. When they are just about to break through (it's evident to those around them), their behavior causes them to go backward and they slide back into comfortable. Sure, they may be uncomfortable in terms of income, position, etc. - but their mental gauge says "See? That's where you belong. You won't do better than this."

Now here's where management makes the big mistake. You can't scare a person into changing their behavior. You can't shame them into it. You can't threaten them into it. You can't lecture them into it. The fact is they're just being human. That super star sales rep of yours isn't really that different ... they've just adjusted their gauge. Another way of saying it is that they've adapted the barrier removal system.

If this second type of sales person sounds like you, congratulations for having the courage and integrity to acknowledge that. I encourage you to try the barrier removal system. If this person sounds like one of your sales team, I encourage you to share the barrier removal system. It's really as simple as this:

     Commit to specific behaviors … for a specific period of time … for a specific goal.

For instance: "John The Rep" never seems to get beyond five sales per month, despite a lot of internal and outside pressure to do more. All agree that he is capable of it. One day "John The Rep" decides that he wants to go on an exotic vacation. So he decides to spend one extra hour per day focusing on achieving this goal. For one designated hour per day he makes phone calls and sends mailers with the promise that whatever comes from this extra effort will go straight into a "John The Rep's Vacation Fund," and that when he gets to a certain point he'll book his trip. How likely do you think "John The Rep" will exceed his typical five sales? I've seen it time and again, and it works.

So what is your barrier? We all have one. What specific behaviors, over a specific period of time, for a specific goal, are you willing to commit to? You can do it!

Excerpt from John Patrick’s eBook entitled Sales Tips & Tools, which can be found on Amazon.

1. ROLE PLAY.  Even the best in any sport or discipline maintain that level by constant training and repetition. In order to have the highest level of confidence possible, and in order to be able to focus on the prospect, you have to internalize the process.

 2. OPEN AN OUTSIDE MARKET.  Become an expert in an industry or discipline that no one in your office serves. By doing so, you will develop new market share and you may become the go-to person in that new industry.

3. ATTEND A.U. (AUTO UNIVERSITY).  Listen to audio cd’s as you go from place to place. Focus on motivational material, success stories and on material that teaches.

 4. START AND FINISH YOUR DAY IN AN OFFICE OR LOCATION AWAY FROM HOME. This one's for those who work out of your home. Avoid getting up late and calling it a day early by removing yourself from that environment. The best way to do that is to schedule yourself with early- morning and end-of-day appointments by presenting to prospects or servicing existing customers.

5. WRITE AND SEND THANK YOU NOTES. Doing that after setting an appointment, after making a presentation and (if not immediately) after making a sale sets you apart as a consummate professional. I can't count the number of times I've arrived for a presentation or a service call and saw my handwritten notes adorning their desk, computer or bulletin board.

6. FOCUS ON GIVING. When forming a new relationship, presenting to a prospect or speaking with a client, understand you have to address the W.I.I.F.M. Factor (what's in it for me?). Remove the thought of making the sales or what it will mean to you in the form of income/commissions and focus on becoming a partner. By doing so, you will earn the right to get their business.

7. KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Forget the last call that didn't go so well. Forget about yesterday. Forget about your failures. They only pull you down ... and really have nothing to do with the new opportunity ahead of you. If you find yourself mired in follow ups, stop. Focus in fresh leads and opportunities. When you end the day, clean the slate and plan for the new day.

 8. ASK ANOTHER QUESTION. Top sales people ask questions. Much like a 911 operator, stay calm when confronted. Asking questions allows you to re-gain control and gives you time to think strategically.

 9. UTILIZE MARKETING CONSISTENTLY. Keep your name out there on an ongoing basis. Over time you will build momentum. I've had situations where people pulled out materials I sent or dropped off years earlier, as they were now in a position to act.
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 10. MAINTAIN A PROPER MIND SET. Don't assume a sale ... be prepared for anything. Think of yourself as being in demand. By raising your own value, you will exude confidence and more value. Understand the gatekeeper's role (see my recent post on this). And, finally, do what you need to do ... whether you feel like it or not.

There you have it. Simple? You bet! Easy? No. No one ever said it would be easy ... by most agree it will be worth it. Happy selling!
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Excerpt from John Patrick’s eBook entitled Sales Tips & Tools, which can be found on Amazon.