Why Prospects Aren’t Honest With You (And What You Can Do About It)

Too often, buyers mislead salespeople into believing they are interested in their products when they really aren’t.  They don’t do it because they are bad people.  They do it to protect themselves.  In fact, if you sat down and thought about it, I imagine that even you have misled salespeople on at least a few occasions.  Most people believe that lying to a salesperson is okay.

Prospect’s generally lie to salespeople for one of three reasons.  Some lie because they don’t want to hurt your feelings.  It’s the same scenario as when you are standing at the doorstep at the end of rather unexciting blind date.  You are afraid to tell your date that you never intend to see them again so you lie and say something like “I’ll give you a call.”

Others lie because they are afraid that if they tell a salesperson its over, the trained salesperson will pour on the pressure.  Most of us have experienced some form of that when buying a new car or when talking to a salesperson about a home water purification system.  The truth is that it’s easier to get rid of a salesperson by telling them that you are interested as opposed to telling them that you are not.  While the optimistic misguided salesperson runs off to prepare a proposal the prospect can now go into hiding behind receptionists and voice mail.

Finally, some prospects lie because they want information from a salesperson, most often in the form of a proposal or free advice on how to address a specific problem.  Armed with this information, the prospect can solve their problem on their own, shop for a better price or drive a better deal out of their existing provider.  The expertise that salespeople bring to the table is valuable.  Prospects want this information; they just don’t want to pay for it.  We refer to this dilemma as “unpaid consulting”.

Regardless of the prospect’s specific motive for misleading you, it’s your fault for not taking control of the situation.  You can’t blame a prospect for doing something that you failed to tell them they couldn’t do.  Quit giving proposals without getting a commitment from the prospect in advance that they will give you a firm decision one way or another with a clear understanding as to what a yes means.  More importantly, tell the prospect “up front” that it is okay for them to say “no”.

Nicely explain to them that you would love to have them as a customer, but if they aren’t comfortable saying yes, you will happily accept a “no” and with their permission, close their file.  Oh, and by the way, if they need to think about it, you are going to have to assume that there really isn’t’ a good fit and you will take that as a “no”.  Don’t be arrogant. Don’t be tough.  Be sincere and nurturing, but firm. The wrong tonality and its going to sound like “sour grapes”.  Help them to help you end it.

When it’s time for the prospect to give you a decision, don’t back down and accept a “think-it-over”.  If they try to give you something other than a yes or no, remind them of your prior agreement and confirm again that it is okay to say no.  One of two things will happen: they will actually tell you “no” or you will get to the truth of why they are hesitating.  If you get a “no”, accept it.

The fact of the matter is that while most salespeople say they would like to hear the truth, they actually avoid uncovering the truth when they think the answer might be “no”.  Crazy as it sounds, many salespeople would rather hang on to a familiar prospect long after a deal is dead rather than pursue a stranger who might actually buy.

« Why People Buy – According to the Experts | Home | Study Proves that People Buy Emotionally »

• FREE Sales and Marketing Resources

  

  Download any of our FREE Reports or e-Book:

  "How to Build a Lead Generation Machine"

  "The Power of a Process for Increasing Sales"

  "What They Never Taught You About Sales Management (That You Need To Know!)

• Sign up to receive any of three different sets of sales and marketing tips:

  "How to Generate Leads Using the Internet, Social Media and Referrals"

  "21 Unconventional Ideas for Transforming Your Sales Results"

  "25 Things They Never Taught You About Managing Salespeople (That You Need To Know!)"