Shorten the Sales Cycle by Challenging "Yes" Responses
There are three types of "yes" responses a prospect will give during the sales process. Each of these responses needs to be challenged, but in a nurturing and appropriate way. By doing so, you will be able to qualify your prospect and their level of interest in your product. We tell you how in this video.
1. The COUNTERFEIT Yes
A prospect may have decided that the best way to bring the sales process to a conclusion - to say "no" without having to actually say "no" - is to say "yes" because that is what you want to hear. Your gut instinct usually tells you when the prospect is saying "yes" when in fact they mean "no." If you challenge that response, you can quickly qualify the prospect and determine if it makes sense to move forward or devote that time to another prospect.
2. The Confirming Yes
A "confirming yes" simply means the prospect is agreeing with what you are saying and they like where the sales process is going. This "yes" response does not need to be challenged as much as a "counterfeit yes" but the goal of questioning is to determine why you and the prospect are in alignment. When you confirm what resonated most with your prospect, you can focus on those points throughout the rest of the sales process.
3. The Committed yes
A prospect will say "yes" when they have embraced what you are selling and are ready to move forward. In order to avoid confusion, it is still important to challenge this "yes" response to be sure that there is no misunderstanging between what you are thinking and what your prospect is thinking. Removing confusion will lead to greater client satisfaction and reduce the sales cycle.
See How to Use Questions to Qualify Prospects
The video above from sales consultant Paul Lushin explains the three types of "yes" and gives examples of how each should be challenged with a prospect.
Looking for additional sales training tips to help you qualify prospects? Be sure to check out our blog post, Clarity with a Prospect Avoids “Let-Me-Think-It-Over”s, and download our whitepaper below about how to close business faster!
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