Sales Tips Series Part 2: Salesmanship Begins at NO

Welcome back for part 2 of this uber exciting Sales Tips series! Check out previous tips:

Part 1: Start Selling at HELLO 

This is the part we'll all afraid of. We all dread that moment when the client says "No, I can't afford that." or "No, I don't want that." In the past I've always skirted the issue. If they can't afford product #1, I'll show them product #2 which is less expensive and hope they take the bait. But that's not selling like a clever businesswoman. That's avoiding selling because I'm afraid to pop my comfort bubble. I need to start practicing turning no's into yes's.

• It's ALL about getting the client to say 'yes'. If they're saying 'yes' (about anything), you're getting closer to a sale.
• When you reach an obstacle in the sales session (it costs too much, they don't like the image, they can't decide etc....) and they say 'no', that's your cue to start asking question, digging deeper and leading towards a 'yes.' 
• It's not about tricking them into buying something they don't really want. That's sleazy. You're helping them figure out what they want so you can be the one to give it to them.
• Don't assume you know why they're saying 'no" — you are not a mind reader. Ask why and you might be able to solve their problem, offer an alternative solution etc...
• If they say they don't have any money right now, don't assume they'll never have money in the future. This is when you could say, "I will be keeping all of your images in my archive, which means you can always purchase them in the future when the time is right. Would you be interested in that?" ..... "Yes." (SUCCESS!)
• You don't have to turn 'no, I don't want an album' into 'yes, i want an album." Instead, by asking questions what you'll do is turn, "no, I don't want a 12x12 album." into "yes, I want a 8x8 album." They just have to say 'yes' to something and you'll end up with a sale.

Have you ever been afraid of tough questions from clients?

Stay tuned for Sales Tips Part 3! We're going to be talking about how you can direct conversations with clients towards closes & sales!