The Power of No

We all know how important getting a YES is, but how important is the word NO in sales?

For some companies the word no is just as, if not, more powerful than a yes.?

The number #1 killer of performance in any sales process is time wasting! That is to say, salespeople not knowing how to?navigate time-wasters and distractions or how to apply their time correctly. We call this scenario ‘The Black Hole Effect’: lots of time going-in. but nothing comes out, ever! By out, I mean productivity, tangible value, results and outcomes.

At BOOM! we speak at length about 'crazy customers' and the damaging effects they have on time management, profit and sales performance. The key to eliminating time-wasters is to get comfortable with saying the word, no.?

As a salesperson you need to know your place, and that's always in front of your customers, but not just any old customers, the right customers.

When we work with a sales team, we always look for ways to maximise their time, value, and their contribution. The first place to start is understanding where they individually and collectively add the most value and then structure their time more in and around that activity. You then create support structures around them to allow them to execute and scale.?

To clarify, let me share a story with you. A number of years ago, I worked with an IT Solutions company that had a cool solution and strong technical capability, but they lacked sales savvy and?had no clear consistent sales process. In fact, there wasn’t even a dedicated sales leader driving the sales team.

This meant that when the company was presented with a client opportunity, out of need and desperation they would bend over backwards to win the business. But in doing so they set the tone for the ongoing relationship, which was ? we give and you take.

Now, this is ok to a point, but in this instance although my client was winning large scale contracts, they were also haemorrhaging red ink. This was caused by uncontrollable scope-creep and copious hours of non-billable work which was sending them towards the hazardous rocks of financial distress.?

After deep consult and insight sessions with the key stakeholders, our first recommendation was to get used to saying no and investing time, energy and resources in the right customers by designing a sales process that set the tone for the ongoing relationship and delivered value and buy-in from all parties at each phase. Example:

Client:?Can I have a proposal and price on this solution by Friday morning?

Salesperson:?I’m happy to provide you with a proposal and the best price, but that would be toward the end of our initial conversation. Do you have 15 minutes now so I can learn more about your requirement and what you are setting out to achieve here?

Client:?No thanks, I just need a quote at this stage.

Salesperson:?Our experience tells us (insert credentials)?that with the solution you’re interested in there is too much ‘grey area’ to simply guesstimate a price. And we believe you deserve service better than guesswork. How important is it that you get this solution right?

C:?Very important.

SP:?What is the cost associated with getting it wrong?

C:?Hard to say, but it would be considerable.

S:?I hear you. So you need the right information to make the right decision, yes? And based on our (insert credentials) delivering successful solutions in your space, we have a process to ensure this is achieved. If you have some time now or later I am happy to take you through this process. Is now a good time or is another time more suitable?

C:?I am busy now, but can we make a time for early tomorrow, I would like to have my GM sit in our conversation to make sure we cover all areas?

S:?Great. How about 10am? And what is your GM’s name?

C:?10 am is fine. His name is Harry Highpants.

S:?Thanks Sally, I look forward to speaking with you and Harry then. In the interim I will email you my contact details and some relevant information to review prior to our zoom meeting. I look forward to speaking with you and Harry then!

You can see from the above example how simply The Power of NO works. You can apply it in a myriad of ways. It’s not a power trip or tactic to alienate customers ― it’s simply an approach designed to give you and the customer confidence. It will also help you to kill time wasters (manoeuvre?them accordingly) which enables you to have the right conversations with the right clients more often. Then watch your sales sky rocket!?

Just don’t forget to always communicate the word NO in a way that benefits the customer.

This is a small excerpt from Trent Leyshan’s first book?The Naked Salesman get your FREE copy and more at www.boomsales.com.au?

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