One of the strongest ingrained behaviors is asking for permission. Remember growing up and our parents would constantly remind us that it’s OK as long as you ask first. We were being taught to be polite.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not be polite. I am saying that there are times when we should refrain from saying, “Would you like to?” or “Do you want to?” or “Is it OK?” When you put yourself in position to ask for permission, you then have to sit back and wait for a yes or no.
Instead, be proactive and take control of the sales pitch. Use words like “let’s” or “when” to begin your request.
“Let’s schedule a time to meet.” “When is a convenient time for us to meet?” Instead of “Would you like to?” or “Do you want to?” or “Is it OK if I?”
It’s OK to be more assumptive in your closing approach, especially when the prospect has a true need for your product or service. Besides, that approach also works on the personal side, too.
“Would you like to go out?” “Let’s go out tonight.” “I will pick you up at 7 p.m.”
You’d be amazed at how much better this approach will be.
Marvin Montgomery is an author, speaker and sales training consultant at ERC, where he has assisted hundreds of organizations in improving their productivity. You can ask the Sales Doctor a question at [email protected].
