Why are so many people deterred when they get “No” for an answer to a request? Think back to your childhood when you asked for mother or father for something and got a “No.” Did you stop asking? Or did you look for another angle?
When did we outgrow the ability we had as a child to keep pushing for the response we wanted? As a new home salesperson, you should see “No” as the beginning of your negotiation with a prospective buyer. What that person is giving you with that answer is a clue: “No, I don’t want THAT, but maybe there is something else you have yet to tell me about that will change my mind.”
Going back to my own childhood, I knew that I had made major progress toward “Yes!” when I turned a big, fat “No” into a more promising “Maybe.” And I did that by better understanding the reason for the negative answer. Was I asking for too much? If so, maybe I could scale back my request. Was the person I was asking unable to give me what I wanted at that moment in time? Then perhaps I should table the discussion and plan for a better time to make my pitch—like when Dad was in a better mood or Mom wasn’t preoccupied with a dozen other things to do.
The point is, when you get a “No” from a customer, it could be a “Not now”, “Not yet” or “Not quite.” Don’t assume it signals the end of the negotiation process. Ask questions. Clarify the reasoning behind the negative answer so you can better craft your sales presentation toward addressing those concerns and overcoming the objections.
I would rather get a verbal “No” than indecision. I prefer a “No” over a silent customer who walks away without giving me a clue as to why. When I hear “No”, it tells me that I am at least communicating with my customer, that we are still conversing, and that the challenge is now up to me to get to “Yes!”
