Why Will They Say No?

One of the most important areas for you to explore with your prospective client is what will cause them to say “no” to working with you.

You may not want to explore these areas. It’s uncomfortable for you, and it can make your prospect uncomfortable. You don’t want to explore the areas where you, your company, or your solution have some challenges as far as your prospect is concerned. Your prospective client may not want to tell you outright that they can’t, don’t want to, or won’t be able to say “yes.” They might not want to embarrass you.

They have something they “must have.” You can’t meet that need. They mention it but don’t make a big deal out of it. You both move on and talk about the areas where you do fit.

The problem for you as a salesperson is that those things that prevent your dream client from saying “yes” didn’t go away. They are going to carry those concerns into their internal meetings, where they discuss you and your solution. Your prospects are also likely to talk about the things they need that you can’t provide when they speak with your competitors.

Problems don’t age well, and neither do unresolved concerns.

The best thing you can do is uncover the areas that are going to cause your dream client to give you a “no,” and see what you can do to mitigate those issues. Mitigation isn’t easy. If you had what they wanted, you’d be winning the deal. But you sell prospective clients, and you sell your company, as long as what your prospect wants isn’t something that should have disqualified them in the first place.

You may need your manager’s help. You may need your operations team’s help. You may even need your leadership’s help. If you are going to win, you are going to have to find a way to flip what gets you a “no” to something that gets you a “yes.” It may not be a perfect solution. It just needs to be a solution your dream client can agree to.