It was 6 pm on Saturday, and after a busy day, we decided to grab a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Sat in the car, we all selected our favourite one. I love the cream-filled ones! Trying not to rush the experience, eating slowly to saviour the joys of a big sugar rush.
Once all the crumbs were hovered up in our mouths, we set off back home.
Not more than 5 minutes into the journey, my 10-year-old Darcy asked for another doughnut! Wow, how could she want another one so quickly? The answer was a resounding no!
After a few minutes of contemplation, she came back with a reason why it was a good idea. Clearly, she had thought about it, and if she reasoned, she was more likely to get what she wanted.
This went on until we reached home 25 minutes later. I found it something of a game and loved how she used all her sales skills to close the deal.
I didn’t shut her down, just countered and gave her something to think about. Despite being only 10, it felt like I was in some chess grandmasters match.
It reminded me of what Zig Ziglar taught me about not accepting the first, second, or third ‘no’s’ when I know that what I’ve got is what they need. As I recall, Ziglar paraphrased it as “I’ve got their new pots and pans in my car, and they’ve got my money in their wallet, and I’m not leaving till we’ve made the exchange.”
A bit old school and potentially a bit hard sell, but the principle remains entirely valid.
In your business today, there are at least a handful of prospects who you know need what you’ve got. You’ve spoken with them, met them, but they haven’t said ‘yes’. Yet.
If a boost to your order book is what you want this week, go back to them, get creative, and find out what it will take to ‘make the exchange.’ Only if it really matters to you of …
The truth is, most businesses give up way too early. They readily accept the first ‘no’. They don’t ask for enough sales – and yours is probably one of them.
Darcy never did get her second doughnut – but boy did she try hard. Almost certainly much harder than you’ve tried lately!
Over to you…
Have a great week, and if you’d like to chat about how you can get more sales by implementing a Marketing System that cracks the rhythmic acquisition of customers, give me a call…
