Negative selling can double your sales goals
 

As soon as you were old enough to accumulate a few dollars, you started learning how everyone would try to get your money. Even friends and relatives used sales pitches to get you to part with your cold cash. If you walk into a car showroom or furniture stores, sales people are waiting to pounce on you. The phone solicitors drive you nuts trying to make a sale. You become almost paranoid of sales people. Through so much sales pressure, the negative reaction to responding no, changes from your conscious mind to your subconscious mind. At this state saying no to a salesperson is almost automatic.

HOW YOUR MIND HAS BEEN OVER TRAINED TO SAY NO

Let's use the example of someone calling you to switch telephone service. (Questions and Answers) Remember that the sales agent is reading from a script, and must not stop until he is told "NO" at least 8 times.

1. Q = If I could show you a way to save money without losing any benefits, you would be interested, right? A = No (your subconscious is thinking salesman = no. So don't give a commitment answer.
2. Q = I'm sure that if I could lower your rates, then it would help you, right? A = No (I'm really content without making a change.
3. Q = For our new customers, we are providing a new red phone, isn't that great?  A= No (I like my phone and don't like red)
4. Q = Can you tell me what your current phone bill costs, so I can tell you how much you save?  A = NO (Your brain thinks It's not really any of his business) 
5. Q = We save the average customer, over 20%, and that savings could be yours okay?  A = NO (Your brain is going into automatic NO mode).
6. Q = We will have a representative  in your area on Thursday afternoon, will this be good for you?  A = NO (I'm trying to get this pressure loaded salesman off the phone).
7. Q =. Well our  offer is for a limited time, the next 30 days, so will next week be better?  A = NO (your  are getting upset and want off the phone)
8. Q = How about faxing me your current bill, and I will get back to you?  A = NO (at this point, that's 8 times you said no, so you hang up the phone. You just defeated ANOTHER sales person.

Wow, you made it through the hard way, congratulations for you patience. My mind is trained, like yours,  that whenever a sales agent wants me to say "Yes", I think the opposite. I don't want to be mean, but my patience level with script salespeople is very abrupt. When I get the "If I could show you a way", my mind is already thinking of getting get off the phone quickly. I respond by simply saying "not interested", while  hanging up the phone as the  salesperson is still talking.

Never work hard trying to overcome no answers. I just knocked the breath out of dozens of sales managers with that statement.

If you ask a client if they want to benefit, their brain automatically responds "no". Tell a client they probably can't afford your offer, their brain automatically thinks "who are you to tell me I can't".

THE ART OF NEGATIVE SELLING is a technique not found in any sales script or taught  by hardly any sales managers. It is not so much negative, as it is opposite. What you are doing is asking for information and questions in a way that your prospect has extreme difficulty answering automatically. Plus you have to have the nerve to make your presentation plan the opposite any other salesperson.

MY EXAMPLE. Years ago I developed an entirely different technique selling insurance to senior citizens, that would be just as effective as today.  First, when I had a number of leads or senior citizen in one area, I was ready to start selling. I didn't call for an appointment, as this was the perfect opportunity for the client to tell me "NO", the word I never wanted to hear even once. Upon arriving, I would knock on the door in casual (no suit an tie) clothes. My first question was, "My name is Don and I'm here to explain your Medicare and Insurance benefits, I took the chance you would be home."  "Is your spouse here also?". Her response, "Yes, let me get him, come on in." I caught them off guard by my sudden visit, and I never asked them it this was a good time.

I then said, "This will take about 20 minutes to explain your government benefits and insurance, can we sit at the table". Reply was "yes". I was keeping command, not allowing the prospective client to control me. Next, I said "could you bring out any insurance policies you have so you can see how they fit with your federal benefits". Response was, "Yes, I will get them."

Now I had all the ammo I needed. I quickly explained the benefits of Medicare and their Medicare supplement policy, along with the lack of long term care benefits for nursing care. I then asked, "Do you know of anyone who ended up in a nursing home, or had to have a nurse come in to provide services." Of course the answer was yes. I then took a chance (closer test), and said, "You probably have enough money put away to handle a couple of years of care, right?  Upon hesitation, one of them would answer "probably not enough". I then said, "let me take 5 minutes showing you two options that might be of benefits. I would then present a low cost plan and a higher cost one.  My next statement was. "you might not ever need either of these, and the higher cost one you might not be able to afford, so which one looks best? Their minds start spinning with thoughts like "what makes him think I can't afford it, and how does he know I or my spouse might not have a sudden health turn.  More often than not they will choose the higher premium plan, and if one spouse says "I don't know", then them other says "if you won't pay for it, I will".

Overcome the objection "I'm undecided, and I need to think about it, I'll give you a call"  If you believe you still have a good chance, you don't. The prospective client has put himself back in charge. Your chance of going all the way back  is less than 5%. However I fell that I am at least 55% still in control.  I show the client my stack of lead cards (make sure there are at least 30), and say " I still have all these people to explain benefits to in the next couple days. Could you please tell me if either you can't afford it or you don't feel you need these benefits" Keep completely quiet, do not say another word, this is your final chance. This is where the other spouse will often say, "Honey, we really should protect ourselves, which one should we get?" Wham, you write the applications.

 If you still can't win, ask this final question. " I learn a lot from talking to so many other seniors. Can you please tell me what I said wrong." This last question will get another 5% to fold their defense. If you didn't close, just tell yourself  or even them "well it's your possible loss, not mine", and go on to the next house. Remember that the older your client is, the more times the brain has automatically been trained to say no. Close off their automatic response from functioning. You have to start at the front door.

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