Risk & Business Magazine Walsh Duffield Companies Spring 2016 | Page 14

What’s the Prospect Really Saying?

closer inspection, reveal no actual commitment. They contain
indecisive, play-it-safe words or phrases that allow prospects
(and customers alike) to avoid making commitments.

BY: ERIC FRY, MANAGING PARTNER, SANDLER TRAINING

Examples of “play-it-safe” language from prospects could
include:

Look Past the “Buying Signals” and Ask More Questions

• I’m inclined to place the order this week.
• I believe that there’s a good chance that we will award
the project to your firm.
• Things look pretty good.
It’s likely you’ve heard your share of statements like this from
prospects. Perhaps you even considered them “buying signals.”
But how much certainty can you really attribute to words like
inclined, good chance, and pretty good?
A simple reverse – meaning you ask a question that puts the
ball back in the prospect’s court in a tactful way – can help you
uncover the real meaning of these statements. For example:
Prospect: I’m inclined to place the order this quarter.
Salesperson: Certainly, that would be appreciated. Let me
ask you something. When you say “inclined,” what does that
mean?
Prospect: I believe that there’s a good chance that we
will award the project to your firm.
Salesperson: I appreciate you telling me that. I’m curious,
however. When you say “good chance,” what does that
mean?
Prospect: Things look pretty good.
Salesperson: I’m glad to hear you say that. Can I ask
something, though? When you say “pretty good,” what do
you mean by that?

Getting to the Reality of the Situation

M

aria was quite certain she’d laid the
groundwork for a really big order.

Her prospect, Bert, was asking lots of
questions during her presentation. He
was smiling a lot. He was nodding his
head. He was sending all kinds of classic
“buy signals.” Near the end of the meeting,
Maria asked Bert what he thought of
everything they’d discussed. Bert looked
her right in the eye, nodded, and said:
“You’ve done a great job, Maria. I’m
definitely inclined to place the order this
week.”
Maria smiled, shook Bert’s hand, and
made her way out of the building. She felt
she had reason to celebrate! She’d been

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working on this deal for months.
That afternoon, she entered the new
account on her quarterly income
projection, with a closing probability
of 100% – and a hefty commission for
Maria – and emailed the projection to her
manager.
By the end of the week, though, Bert
had stopped returning Maria’s calls.
Another week went by, and then another.
Eventually, Maria learned from Bert’s
assistant that her company had lost the
deal at the last minute to a competitor.
What happened? Had Bert lied? Not
exactly. It would be more accurate to say

that Maria had misunderstood. She had
been listening to Bert with “happy ears.”
He’d told her that he was inclined to place
the order this week. He hadn’t, however,
made any commitment to place the order
with her – or anyone else – at any time.
If she’d figured out what the prospect was
really saying, she might have been able to
secure an agreement from Bert to allow
her to revise her offer in the event that a
competitor swooped in. She didn’t do that,
though … because she was listening for
what she wanted to hear.

It may take two or more patient, tactful reverses to expose
the real meaning of the statement. If Maria had done this, she
would have found out that what Bert really meant was, “I’m
impressed enough by what you’ve put together here to show
your proposal to our CEO – and if he thinks it’s a good idea,
we’ll place the order.” That’s encouraging … but it’s not the
same thing as “I’m sending you the order later today,” which is
what Maria’s “happy ears” heard.
That’s a shame – because if she’d only gotten to the reality of
the situation, Maria could have set up a meeting with Bert, the
CEO, and herself … and saved the deal!
The next time you hear what sounds like a “buying signal” from
the prospect, avoid the temptation to make his or her words
mean what you’d most like them to mean. Ask a few questions
that clarify what the prospect really means, and work from
there. Your closing numbers will thank you!

Clarifying Prospects’ Statements
Prospects will sometimes make statements
that, on the surface, sound positive, but on

Eric Fry is Managing Partner with Sandler Training. Prior to
Sandler Training, Eric worked for a number of well-known,
international organizations including Xerox and Staples Advantage
while honing his skills in sales and leadership throughout his career.
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