| Most salespeople think of "stalls" and "objections" | | | | before the stall arose. |
| as synonyms. Wrong. Stalls and objections are | | | | Present the USB. |
| both things you may hear after you have asked | | | | Ask for commitment again. |
| for commitment, but an objection is a specific | | | | It works like this: "I understand. You like ____, |
| reason not to buy. In a stall-"I need to think about | | | | _____, and ____ about our product. With our |
| it"-the customer offers no particular reason for | | | | _____ policy (the USB), you can try it with no |
| hesitating. | | | | risk at all. How does that sound? (Customer |
| Almost all salespeople buy in to the stall. Very | | | | responds.) Would you like to go ahead with it |
| few ever get the deal once they do. | | | | then?" |
| What the stalling customer is really saying is this: | | | | Far too many salespeople fail to ask for |
| "I'm not quite sold yet. Sell me some more." Well | | | | commitment even once in a sales call. With this |
| then, by all means, do some more selling. But do it | | | | stall-breaking method, you are asking twice. And |
| right. Here's how: | | | | you have followed the customer's lead by doing |
| Never challenge a stall. Since the customer | | | | exactly what the stall really asked you to do: "Sell |
| offered no specific reason for hesitating, don't | | | | me some more." |
| force him to come up with one by saying | | | | Believe it, you will make more sales! |
| something like, "What is it that you need to think | | | | In The Field: |
| about?" Challenging stalls creates conflict, not sales. | | | | Equity Residential is the largest apartment leasing |
| Don't try to manipulate the customer. If you've | | | | company in the United States. In a tough |
| learned any manipulative sales techniques, forget | | | | economic climate, Equity decided to invest in |
| them. They do more harm than good. The old | | | | developing the selling skills of its leasing |
| "feel, felt, found" method rarely worked even in | | | | consultants. Needless to say, these consultants |
| its heyday, and it certainly doesn't work today. | | | | often hear stalls such as, "Let me think about it |
| Identify a Universal Stall Breaker. The USB is a | | | | and I'll get back to you." |
| capability of your product or your company that | | | | Equity has a Service Promise Guarantee that |
| minimizes the risk to the customer who buys. | | | | minimizes the risk for customers who choose to |
| Every company has one. Yours might be a | | | | rent. "But prior to the Action Selling sales training |
| money-back guarantee, a no-hassle return policy, | | | | program, we presented our Service Promise |
| a try-and-buy arrangement, extended terms, or | | | | Guarantee as just another feature," said Jonakan |
| an unusually comprehensive warranty. Whatever | | | | O'Steen, director of education and leadership |
| this capability is, do not present it to the | | | | development. With their eyes opened to a new |
| customer up front. Hold the USB in reserve, in | | | | way of looking at stalls, Equity's consultants |
| case you hear a stall when you ask for | | | | quickly identified the guarantee as their Universal |
| commitment. | | | | Stall Breaker. That is now how they use it. |
| When you do hear a stall, follow this procedure: | | | | "It's easy to get stalled when working with |
| Say, "I understand." | | | | rentals," O'Steen said. Or, rather, it used to be. |
| Restate the product features the customer liked | | | | |