Sometimes in sales we need to sort out those who are truly interested and qualified from those who are just wasting our time. They aren’t necessarily bad people. Perhaps they just don’t know how to say “no” or how to be fully candid.
After 40 years in sales, I have developed a method of sorting the wheat from the chaff by asking what I call “or are you a moron” questions.
For example, when people would say that they are happy with their current supplier, I would ask, “I’m sure you would agree with me that it’s smart business to have a backup supplier, right?” The only sensible answer to that question is “yes.” If people said “no” or were evasive, I knew that I probably wasn’t dealing with a straight shooter. Sometimes people say they already have a backup supplier. That’s a great answer. At least I would know I’m likely dealing with a sensible person who I would want to follow-up with in the future.
Similarly when I would pitch a program and people said they were already part of a different program, I would ask, “I’m sure you would agree with me that smart business people want to know their options, right?”
You get the point.
By the way, these are great, honest questions. Despite the silly name I give these types of questions, they are rock solid business questions. Businesses should want to have back-up suppliers. Smart businesspeople should want to know their options.
I am a big believer in consistent, persistent professional follow-up. In sales we need to determine who the folks that are sincerely interested and deserve our time.
Buyers can be liars, and we need to do a good job of quickly figuring out which is which, or we could waste a great deal of time and energy following up with the wrong folks.
So, do you get my point? Or are you a ______? Haha! It’s all good. Thanks for reading.
Dream big!
