So was she stupid, stubborn, or just not listening? Why argue with me when I’m the one with the checkbook? Oh, I get it. I must be the lame one for putting her off. Oh, OK.

In fact, I told her that our current situation didn’t match her services, but they could in the future. That’s when she got really mad. Boy, I can’t wait for her to call again!

Do you ever get angry at your customers? It’s a natural reaction sometimes to a customer who doesn’t see the benefits in what you’re selling, doesn’t have a need for your product now, or is happy with their current supplier.

Sure, these situations are frustrating, discouraging, and de-motivating. However, how you deal with the rejection is what separates the amateurs from the peak-performing professionals.

In our workshops, we often get this question: “What should we do if the customer needs to buy now and they are putting me off for later. Do I push them harder?”

Depending on the customer’s personality type, I ask the sales person this question. “Would you rather have a sale now, or never?” That takes a moment for everyone to process, then they yell out at once, “Later, of course!” “Well”, I say, “There’s your answer.”

This would have been an important lesson for the woman who called me last Friday. Instead of thinking of a strategy to follow up with us when the timing is right, or offering a short-term solution by simply asking more questions (which, by the way, I would have gladly answered; had she asked),  she attempted to bully me which simply backfired.

If you find yourself irritated at your prospects inability to make a decision, answer “yes”, or communicate honestly with you, use one of these 5 tactics next time:

1.    Listen to the real meaning of your customer’s comments. What are the words that you are hearing? What is the inflection? Which phrases were emphasized? You’ll get lots of information by simply listening at a much deeper level. (In fact, I have an entire chapter devoted to this topic in my new book, “Selling to Anyone Over the Phone”.)
2.    Ask an intelligent follow up question. Keep your voice level and professional by eliminating the irritation in it. Sound as neutral as humanly possible. The customer won’t be put on the defensive and may even tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And isn’t that what most of us are striving to get, anyway?
3.    Use one of my favorite words, (one of our most endearing clients, Nelson at Kintetsu World Express loves this one), “OH?” Then wait. It’s amazing how the prospect will now spill his guts because for once, someone is actually listening to him. (And it’s a salesperson, no less!)
4.    Use the third-party testimonial method. So if the customer says, “We’ve considered using your service, however, the timing is right at the moment.” You can respond with, “I can understand that the timing may be off. In fact, we have a client in a similar business as yours and they told us that by planning 6 months in advance for their implementation, they ended up shaving 2 months off their project planning. What do you think about that?”
5.    Ask for a referral. It may sound like this: “Fred, it sounds like this isn’t the right opportunity for your company this time around. That’s perfectly understandable. Who do you know that may be able to use these services?” (Then, be quiet and wait for a referral.) It’s amazing how many people will give you a referral, even if you’ve never done business with them before. The reason is, most salespeople don’t ask and when you do, it’s a golden opportunity!

Hope this gets you started next time you want to get mad and get even. A few strategies can at least get you going in the right direction!