I hate it when salespeople tell how a prospect got away from them because they were “so close”. I sympathize with them, and it’s not that they aren’t human. But, it’s hard to shake your head and tell the story to a friend or spouse. There’s no such thing as “almost making a sale.”
Some of you are still silently disagreeing. You’ve seen a new client’s account dissolve from inches away. Isn’t this “almost selling”?
Let me ask: Did you earn any commissions on that transaction?
That’s really the point. No matter how convinced or close a prospect is until they place an order and pay for it, everything really happens. Recognize that fact and move on to be a successful salesperson. You might have spent a lot of energy and time to secure their business. But how can that help you to dwell on what did not happen? Isn’t this just a worse way to deal with the problem?
Selling is not about activities or intentions. We only care about the results. Here are some ways to overcome near misses so you can get on with your business of becoming a top-selling salesperson.
Take it all in and learn from it. Then, move on.
Be sure to review your impressions and notes before you forget all about your client. You may not know the reasons you lost the sale, and you might not be able to change it. However, you may be able to learn from your experience and make better decisions next time.
Don’t give up… For now.
Once you’ve determined that a sale is lost, follow up with the prospect and let it go. It’s not an excellent strategy to call desperate people and beg for money. Give up on the commission and get on with the next prospect.
Use math to your advantage
It is not a good idea to have too many eggs in one basket. Not only does it reduce anxiety, but it also makes it easier to close deals. It’s usually an indication that your promotion, prospecting, and networking efforts are not strong enough.
Get organized.
Five sales go unnoticed every day. You should keep track of where buyers are at the selling stage, what you promised to do for them when it happened, and the details of the conversations. This information will help you keep buyers in line and prevent them from falling through the cracks. It will also reduce the time spent worrying about sales that didn’t happen.
