In an ideal selling engagement, you go through all the motions with a prospect, and you close the deal. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.
People say no and they will say it so often that it is discouraging. However, before you give up completely or start rethinking your career path, know that there are any number of reasons why prospects don’t buy from you. Here are 5 major reasons why you aren’t closing the deal:
1. You Focused on Quantity Instead of Quality
It’s bad enough if you’re targeting the wrong niche; it’s just as bad to be targeting everyone. If you’re trying to sell to everyone, then your approach is probably generic. This one-size-fits-all strategy means that you haven’t tailored your efforts. And when you don’t personalize your approach, your prospects won’t feel that you’re speaking directly to them and will, therefore, ignore you.
Trying to sell to everyone means you’re selling to the wrong people. And when you try to sell to the wrong prospects, you’ll get turned down again and again. You’ll feel like a failure for being rejected so often. However, they’re not saying no because of your pitch or your product; they’re saying no because what you’re selling is not relevant to them at all.
Ultimately, you have a higher chance of closing the deal when you focus your efforts on qualified prospects rather than trying to sell to the masses.
2. Your Level of Enthusiasm is Off-Putting
More often than not, no means no. And if you’re one of those marketers who just won’t take no for an answer, chances are you hear no more than anyone else. Being too pushy can repel people more than draw them in.
The digital age has changed the game. People have stopped answering their phones when they see the call is coming from an unknown number. They’ve created strict filters for their inboxes to avoid getting spam. Sales and marketing today has to be done on a deeper, more personal level. And in today’s modern world, that means reaching your audiences where you’ll most frequently find them – on social networks.
However, you can’t just hit your prospects with sales pitches and promotional content; you need to nurture leads and build relationships. You need to recognize their pain points and offer them solutions to their problems. Be too aggressive and expose yourself as not being authentic about providing value and only after the sale, and your prospects will turn cold.
Consumers today don’t want to purchase from someone who is hell-bent on selling to them. However, they will buy from a brand who takes the effort to relate to them, offer them a unique experience, and gain their trust by proving that selling is not the first thing on their agenda.
3. You’re Not Giving Them a Reason to Buy Now
Your prospective buyer will only purchase if they recognize there’s value in what you are selling. People will only buy something when they see how the product or service will solve their problem(s).
And this is where your skills as a salesperson are tested. You need to increase the perception of value. You can only do this if you know who you are selling to. This is why having insight into your target audience is so critical. If you’ve been listening to your prospects needs, then you would know what their issues are and how what you’re selling offers solutions to their problems. And if you say that your products or services don’t benefit the prospective client in any way, then you’re trying to sell to the wrong person.
Beyond giving them a reason to buy, you need to create a sense of urgency. Potential prospects want to know what the consequences are of not buying now. Without giving them a reason to buy now rather later, the deal is as good as dead. They may say that they’ll buy at a later time and all you can do is hold your breath and hope they do.
4. You’re Too Vague
A generic sales pitch often happens for two reasons; either you’re trying to sell to everyone and want to keep your pitch evergreen and applicable to all, or you simply have not put enough effort into providing adequate information on the value of your product or services.
If you aren’t closing deals and hearing your prospect say that they need more time to review before they make a decision, they may be considering how the purchase fits into their budget or if they genuinely need to buy at that very moment. However, it’s entirely possible that they are seeking more information because you haven’t provided it to them.
Don’t be afraid to engage with clients or worry that you may be overstepping. However, you should be aware of boundaries and read cues of whether or not you are crossing them. If they say they need more time, take that as a sign that you should provide them with more information. Ask them to share their concerns.
5. They Feel You’re Putting Them at Risk
There are several reasons why prospective buyers may not feel entirely safe about buying from you. One is that you are over-selling or sensationalizing the value of your product or service. When things sound too good to be true, they often are. This can make prospects nervous and feel like they’re about to get scammed.
Another reason why prospective buyers feel like they’re at risk when they buy your product or service is if you don’t show confidence in what you’re selling. You’re not just selling a product but you are a representative of the brand and therefore should be an advocate for what you sell. When prospects read hesitation in your pitch, or you’re unsure of how it benefits the potential buyer, you’re not winning their trust and ultimately, not closing the deal.
When it comes to reasons why prospects say no, recognize the difference between factors you cannot control and when the harsh reality is that you are the one who is at fault. Potential buyers may not purchase simply because they already have a supplier, they just bought what you are selling, or they have other priorities. And of course, the most frustrating reason of all – you have everything they want and need, yet they don’t have the money for it.
However, while realizing the problem is disheartening, it should also give you hope because it means it is something you can control and manage. And with a few adjustments and tweaks to your approach, you’ll be closing more deals.