E-Tip 266 - Call Me After the Holidays

At last, we have reached December, a time of the year when things start to get interesting for many salespeople. This is when salespeople start to hear prospective buyers say things like:

• "Call me after the holidays."
• "Our business is slow right now, so we won't be buying anything until after the first of the year."
• "We're going to wait until after the first of the year before we change _________."

Unless what you sell can be given as a holiday gift, this time of year presents a unique and difficult challenge for many salespeople.

Here Are Just A Few Ways To Handle A Prospect Delaying A Buying Decision...

• "I understand. Some businesses are putting off _____________ until after the first of the year and because of that, I wanted to see if your company qualifies for our new cost saving ____________ program (or whatever your special offer is called), which has an extra bonus if you sign up by December 30th. This would save you X%."
• "I can relate to things being slow right now. By the way, I wanted to share with you a new _______ package to introduce our (insert your product/services here). How many employees are on your payroll?"
• "I can relate to things being slow right now, but tell me, will anything change after the first of the year that will prevent you from starting then?"
• "I understand. What day after the first of the year would you like to start your _____________?"
• "I understand. We can deliver the products now and bill you after the first of the year. Does that work for you? On top of that, you will save X% by avoiding the 2010 price increase."

What You Say After Being Told "No" Will Prompt A Prospect To Tell You Their Real Objection.

Often times, the reason a prospect stalls their buying decision is because they are afraid of taking a risk. They may be thinking, "Suppose this service doesn't work well for our situation-then I'll be in trouble." In addition to fear, another reason a prospect may be stalling is if their cash flow is off and they are not authorized to make any purchases. Whatever the real reason may be, you need to flush-it-out and solve it.

If A Prospect Still Says "No" Here Is What You Need To Do.

Like you, I talk to people who want to put things off until after the first of the year. In order to get around this, I do three things. First, I schedule a follow-up call in my database for the first week of the year. Second, I place them in my weekly e-tip marketing campaign so my company's name stays in their conscious and subconscious mind. Third, I send them relevant information about their industry, not notes asking, "Are you ready to buy yet?"

See below for some additional ideas:

• Postcards that promote special offers on your products or services
• Special reports or white papers about cost savings, customer success stories or related customer testimonials.
• Buying guides that help them make the best buying decision. Consumer Reports magazine does a great job at presenting this type of data.
• Letters from the president of your company thanking them for their past business.
• Independent articles that talk about cost saving from your product or services.
• Press releases on new clients, customer service guarantees or special interest projects.

Executive Summary: If a prospect is delaying their decision to buy from you, we recommend offering an alternative close. By doing so, you will most likely find the underlying cause of why they are not buying from you.

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