As James Johnson put it... "Hope may spring eternal, but hope doesn't spring deals."
Most sales people say that their biggest sales problem is client procrastination.
Every sales professional feels frustrated when put on hold even after receiving all the buying signals, including agreement on product, price and service.
Whether it’s financing or information technology, sales people sometimes can only wonder;
Is the client being honest with me?
Are there other issues we did not get to know about?
Was our competition better?
Or did we just not create enough value in the mind of the client?
Let’s look at three reasons why your client might procrastinate:
1. Value perception:
The client did not perceive enough value. Without value, there will be no investment. Will it make money, save money, or will it improve their competitiveness.
Without value the only thing that is evident to the client is the cost, which usually means you have at best a 50/50 chance of winning the business.
Convey the value in the clients terms not yours. Recognised value will usually help to prevent procrastination.
2. Client needs:
Value is built when you understand your client’s needs. Strategic and well thought out questions are the keys to success. If you want a better understanding of the client’s situation, ask better questions.
