Shorten the Sales Cycle by Discovering the Truth

How many times, at the conclusion of sales call, do we meet a prospect who says,

“Let me think about it”?

How do we know if they are really sincere, or if they are simply giving us the brush-off?

I recommend asking the following two questions:

1. Great, I’m really glad to hear that you’re going to give this some serious consideration.

What specifically stands out that you like most about what we’ve discussed?

The first question will help narrow down what is most meaningful to the prospect.

2. Since you do need to give this matter some more thought, this tells me that you may still have some concerns.

Please tell me, What are they…?

The second follow-up question will allow you to get to the truth. And when you discover the truth, you can address the real issues. And when you address the real issues, you shorten the sales cycle. And that’s what it’s all about.

To your selling success!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search Articles

Paul Cherry

For over two decades, sales expert and author PAUL CHERRY has helped B2B sales professionals close more deals in all major industries. As a recognized thought leader in customer engagement strategies, Paul Cherry has been featured in more than 250 publications, including Investor’s Business Daily, Selling Power, Inc., Sales & Marketing Management, The Kiplinger Letter, and Salesforce.

Performance Based Results

Paul Cherry is the president of Performance Based Results. PBR delivers intense, customized sales team training programs and sales management coaching to companies throughout North America. Paul has worked with more than 1,200 organizations, including 175 of the Fortune 500, plus more than a thousand entrepreneurial, small to mid-sized, cutting-edge businesses looking to dominate their niche markets. Clients typically get 7 times their return-on-investment (ROI) or better.

Questions That Sell

Paul Cherry’s top-rated bestseller, Questions That Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants (AMACOM) has been listed on BookAuthority’s “100 Best Sales Books of All Time” and has been published in four languages. He is also the author of Questions That Get Results (Wiley) and The Ultimate Sales Pro (HarperCollins Leadership).

Categories: