Salespeople-You Can't Push a String!

I was just thinking about something that happened to me as a salesperson.

I wrote up a deal that came together, quickly. The prospect sounded upbeat and eager to move forward, and I informed him our accounting people would arrange payment with him.

Repeatedly, they tried to reach him, yet they heard excuses from various gatekeepers, and couldn't get him on the line.

Something had gone wrong between the present and the time he said a hearty, "You're welcome!" to my expression of thanks for his business.

The order wasn't large, so buyer's remorse was possible, but not that likely.

What to do?

My back office returned the order to me. My boss thought I should start my own campaign to reach him.

I passed.

Simply put, if someone is avoiding you, it is senseless to keep pursuing him. For one thing, you'll just tee-off others that are fronting for him. Above all, you'll waste time chasing a phantom deal, passing up several chances to create better ones.

The old expression, "You can't push a string," pops into mind in situations like this one. If my prospect overtly resisted, giving me an objection, such as the price is too high, or the quantity is too much, then I could have dealt with it.

But SILENCE is a killer. You can't do anything with it, can't respond constructively, except perhaps to join in it, stepping-back for a time, and then calling him back several weeks later, with a fresh proposal.

Losing a deal that you thought you had earned, is a setback. Don't multiply your losses by relentlessly pursuing someone that is bent on disappearing.

Salespeople-You Can't Push a String!

By: Dr. Gary S. Goodman

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