How to Uncover the Hidden Hesitation

Has this ever happened to you?  The prospect needs or wants your product or service.  You’ve made a good presentation and s/he seems interested, but for some reason, the prospect hasn’t placed the order.

You think s/he wants to place an order, but you sense a hesitation.  To check and see if you’re on the right track, ask an opinion-seeking question.  The answer will tell you how the prospect feels about what you’ve said, and bring up any concerns s/he may have.  Example:

“In your opinion, do you feel the Laser Printer Service program is a good idea for your company?”

Don’t ask “Do you think the Laser Printer Service program is a good idea. . .”  because that will get a logical response and you can find out more information from an emotional response, which you will get by asking how they feel instead of what they think.

Or you can ask:  “Are you getting the information you need to make a decision?”

Move Them Closer to a Decision

If you feel the prospect is close to a decision but you’re not quite sure, you can ask:  “Do we need a purchase order number?”

The answer to this question will either be “Yes,” or “No,” or “I’m not ready to order yet.”  The first two answers will give you the sale and if you hear the last answer, you can ask:  “What questions can I answer for you?”

Another way to get feedback from the prospect and learn why s/he is hesitating to place the order is to use a trial close, like:

“How does that sound to you so far?” or  “Am I going in the right direction?”

By asking these – and similar – trial closing questions, you are giving the prospect the opportunity to let you know how s/he feels about your company, products, services and/or benefits, based on your presentation.

Opinion vs. Decision

Why is a trial close effective?  Three reasons:

1.   You are getting feedback from the customer without actually asking for the order.

2.   You are taking pressure out of the sales situation because:

You are not asking the prospect to make a decision  -  You are only asking for his/her opinion

3.    An opinion is much easier to give than a decision.

If the answer to your trial closing question is negative, you can ask questions to find out why.  If the answer is positive, you can use a more direct or choice close, like:

“I can go ahead and write up the order now and schedule your products for delivery either first thing in the morning or the following day. Which day would be best for you?”

Or:  “Will the case of six be enough – or would you rather get two cases and save $16.00 today?”

What is most important is not that you must make the sale now – today – but the important thing is that a relationship is developed and the prospect learns to trust you.  Asking opinion-seeking questions can be the beginning of building a business relationship that could eventually lead to a sale and then another sale, until your prospect becomes a steady customer.

How do you feel about trial closing questions?  Please post your comment below.  I would love to hear from you!