When was the last time you asked for the order and your prospect told you that they wanted to take it home and sleep on it? Unless you're selling mattresses, that's not the kind of response you were hoping to hear! When frustrated by an unmotivated prospect, regrettably, most salespeople lose the sale by either becoming overly aggressive or they fold like a cheap lawn chair. When you arrive at "the moment of truth" and look your client in the eye, there should be no hesitation on his or her part to pick up the pen and endorse the application.
Earning a prospect's confidence does not occur in a single moment nor is it created with a clever phrase or a glib presentation but instead is built on a solid foundation of trust and rapport that begins with the very first handshake.
Some misguided sales reps have been taught that their job is to merely educate their prospects and provide them with enough information to overcome their fears and logically reach a buying decision. For those of you who are laboring under this false sales premise, I would simply remind you that people do not buy logically, but in fact are motivated emotionally by a desire for gain or a fear of loss … period. In other words, you'll never logically convince someone who is not sold emotionally first.
