Who Said "No"?

I hate the phrase, “Never take no for an answer.” It’s a sales philosophy that confirms the decision-maker’s preconceived notion that sales reps are pushy, arrogant, and self-centered. But here’s what I do agree with: never accept no from someone who can’t say yes.

That’s not original with me but I like the sentiment. I find it far too common that sales reps will determine whether they should or shouldn’t approach an account or reduce scope/price based on the information captured from a non-decision-maker. In my sales career and in life, I can’t count the number of times I was told “no” by lower level people only to succeed when I met with the person who actually owned the problem. Before you dismiss the idea that you would never do that, look at some of your notes from past meetings. Do they say something like: “I spoke with Bob (non-decision-maker) and he communicated that the timing isn’t good right now because of ____ but to follow back up in 6 months.” (set activity to follow up in 5 months)….Or…”S/W Bob. He communicated that Susan just implemented ___ and to follow back up in 6 months. Call in September.”

Who is defining the need/problem?

Way too many reps base their account strategy on the response of someone who probably has very little insight on the solution you offer or the problem they have.

It’s like meeting with an Orthopedic surgeon and saying, “My shoulder is really bothering me but I don’t need surgery. I just have some scar tissue so I need a cortisone shot and a prescription to keep the swelling down. If things don’t improve within the next three months, I will call you.”

No, what you do is walk into the meeting with the idea that he/she is the expert and you don’t know what you need. We should approach the client with the exact same mentality.

When first engaging a “coach” or “evaluator”, whether you called them or they called you - 

- your focus is DATA and NOT a DECISION.

Your objective is simply to determine if they potentially have a problem by capturing as much information on the account as possible. And once YOU are convinced they potentially need “surgery”, you then make the decision to pursue the account. The people you engage in the account are just sources of information but ultimately it’s your call, as the expert, to determine if your solution is warranted.

Even if the prospect communicates they are interested and the perceived need is high, you’re the “surgeon”. It’s up to you to determine if “surgery” is needed. If not, you will ultimately waste countless hours on meetings, follow up calls, proposals, etc, only to find out they just needed a “cortisone shot.

If you want to honestly evaluate if this is a gap in your sales process, assess your approach when you get a hot lead. If the prospect says, “We are really interested in ____ and would like to meet next week in Albuquerque.” What is your response? Do you ask why? Do you need to have a better understanding of the problem before flying to Albuquerque? Or do you just get enough information to determine scope, and if large enough, nail down the trip as fast as you can?

Here’s another way to think about pursuing an opportunity, regardless of whether you are meeting with a low level non-decision maker or the EVP: ask yourself one simple question. If you were just hired by that company to be the President, what would you do? If your response is, “I don’t know.” You either need more data or you need more experience. You may not be ready for “surgery” but if you continue on this path you will quickly gain the needed expertise. Either way, approaching your role as the person who owns the responsibility of determining the best way to solve a problem is the most effective and fulfilling method. It also distinguishes you from 95% of the sales reps out there who are calling companies to see if it’s time to replace their copier….software….hardware….You get the picture.