Greg Bennett’s

ADVANCED NEGATIVE SELL

Negative Sell is one of the most powerful advanced communication skills you can employ in your arsenal of sales techniques.

WHAT IS NEGATIVE SELL?

v      Instead of standing face to face, opposing the client, trying to talk them into your viewpoint, and leading them to a positive conclusion…you fall backwards and let them fall toward you

v      The objective of negative sell is to get them out of neutral, so they can be moved back positive again

v      It’s like child psychology

v      Like any other sales technique, it’s not meant to be used exclusively, and in every situation

v      Negative sell can also be called “opposite sell”, doing the opposite of what the client expects a seller to do

v      Rules of thumb:

ü       If a client is neutral, go negative

ü       If a client starts out negative, go more negative

Here are some places where negative or opposite sell can be used:

1. In the beginning of a call, when prospects are extremely guarded and like to tell

    you how they have no problems and everything is peachy.

                  “Interesting...it sounds like you’re 100% satisfied and couldn’t be any better”

                  “From the way you sound...there’s very I have that you need...”

“Look...I can tell you right now...the chances are you’re going to keep doing what you’ve always done…even if something WERE better, you’d stay the course”

2.  Right before you want to ask a particularly loaded or direct question

     (kind of a buffer)

                  “Look...I realize this probably isn’t for you, but let me ask you something”

                  “Chances are you aren’t going to move forward on this, but I want to know...”

3.  To take away a problem they’ve stated in the LOBBY.... (Opposite sell)

                  “Honestly...is ‘turnover’ really that big a deal to you?”

                  “Forgive me for being so blunt, but what’s wrong with what you’re doing now?”

4.  When you’re trying to force the urgency issue

                  “Chances are...you can live with this problem for a little while longer, right?”

                  “You certainly didn’t want to get going on this today....did you?”

                  “It’s been my experience that people who’ve been doing the same thing

                        for longer than two years will most likely do the same thing again.”

                  “Look, if you’ve been thinking about changing over for this long and

                        still haven’t done it...chances are you can live with this problem.”

5.  When you’re trying to close and you need to leave with a YES or a NO...

                  “Why don’t we just call it like it is...this is a no..”   (SOFT)

     “Why do I get the feeling you want to tell me no, but you’re nervous about it?” (COMMANDO)

Here are some ways to go negative when you’re stuck in neutral!

·         “I sense that…at this point, the interest you’re showing is not that substantial…”

·         “I know you’ve expressed an interest…but I still sense some major hurdles you need to jump before you’d ever do this, right?”  “Let’s talk about those, Bob…”

·         “I’m going to assume that you like a lot of things about this…but there are some big concerns you have about going forward…why don’t we talk a little about those…”

·         “When you say you’re ‘interested’ in the package, Bob…I get this feeling you’re really a long way from ever going with it…is that correct.?”

·         “Let’s just cut to the chase, Bob…you wouldn’t do this program even if it DID work the way I described it, right?”

·         “Well…as they say – you don’t have to stick your head up a butcher’s….(woops…just had to throw that one in for you)

What happens if the client agrees and goes negative with you?

·         Great!  Now take them to “no”!  Fish in the ugly pond…pull out the problems…and either carve them up (solve them)…or not (no sale)

·         “Okay…well I appreciate your honesty, Bob…I sense that one of the issues you still have is the perceived risk you’re taking?”

·         Then give them the ‘mental enema’ and let them know it will help you to hear the truth

·         “Bob, you’re a straight-shooter…what would help me immensely is if you could articulate all the reasons you’ve arrived at no…and don’t spare the details, you aren’t going to hurt my feelings…”

If you don’t close on a mini-step of some kind…assume the worst!

·         Sales careers die because we assume the best…and then we count on the sale, it doesn’t happen and we’re three months behind

·         If a client says “they’re very interested”…why wouldn’t they take some action?  If they don’t take some action, they’re not interested in anything but getting you out the door

A NO is always easier to turn than a MAYBE