When your client is sold but just won’t book!

I’m often asked – what happens if my client is sold but they just seem ‘static’.

I.e they are not going elsewhere but just won’t commit.

So, they are sold, they want it. They are definitely going to use you, but it’s all gone static. This could be because the clients’ buying strategy requires some time before they commit. How would you know this? Well, it all comes tumbling out during their chit chat! i.e. they say, ‘At the weekend I brought a car’. My response – ‘fantastic, how did you decide to buy that?’ And then that’s when they inadvertently roll off their buying strategy. These subtle chit chat indicators are so often overlooked by a sales rep. 

‘Ah, you know we saw that car a year ago and knew it was the one for us, but we like to sit on things a while’ 

Strategy is: we like, we decide, we wait.

Your approach: bring the timing forward – ‘when you go ahead it takes time to get it to you etc’ you create time.

‘We saw it and our other one is old now and probably not safe’ 

Strategy is: new for old, lean to safety.

Your discussion: to highlight ‘safety, evolving what you have as replacing, so it’s more efficient’

‘Our old car was fun but not very efficient’ 

Strategy is: efficiency is valued. 

Your discussion: is about efficiencies.

‘We saw it, but our current car is working fine so no need to replace’ 

Strategy is new for ‘broken’

If they see their current product as not broken, you would motivate them by tactfully talking about it as though it were broken or faulty with your language. Great care has to be taken when doing this. And be honest, if it’s working ok then move onto a client who needs it. However, if you are sure your solution is better then watching your language and refrain from implying and reinforcing what they have is good. Tact is key here.

‘Our current car is fine, but you know, I love having the latest’ 

Strategy: is likely to be an early adopter, could be showmanish.

Sell by: discussing ‘latest this and latest that’

‘Ah yes, I saw this car a year ago, but you know you know how it is, you ponder on it, and later you still want it, so you buy it.’

Strategy is: they will sit on it, delay. 

Sell by: You keep going back. They will eventually buy. 

Now, of course these examples and these strategies are for a car, however, in almost every case I see the strategy of how you buy one thing mirrors how you buy most things, if the value is similar (i.e. buying a pack of chewing gum may not have the same value in a client’s mind as a $3K item).

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Smarter Selling is sales and mindset coaching for high performing leaders and teams