POUR OUT YOUR MIND IN ENGLISH

Five reasons why people don’t buy
By Renzphotography

In previous posts, we have tackled the emotions that influence decisions, the various personality types, and how clever people match the personality type with the right emotional approach to make convincing easier.

At this point, we shall begin to discuss the five reasons why people don’t buy:

(1) No Money
(2) No Need
(3) No Help
(4) No Hurry
(5) No Trust

Let us keep in mind that while these principles were developed for use by salesmen, they are also applicable to other endeavors that require convincing people.

Now, before I go into details, allow me to show at which point these objections normally occur. To do this, first I have to acquaint you with the sales process. In a normal sales environment, the following are the usual stages in the sales process:

(1) Prospecting
(2) Appointment Setting
(3) Sales Presentation
(4) Trial Closing
(5) Objection Handling
(6) Closing the Sale

(There could be more trial closings, of course, depending on the number of objections made.)

(1) Prospecting

At this stage, the salesman goes through directories, his calling card collection, referrals from friends, and just about any possible way to come up with a short list of high potential prospective customers. The rationale behind this is that while many salesmen would cast the net wide or give presentations indiscriminately to just about anyone at arm’s length, the wise salesman knows that he could only conduct so many presentations in any given day. Therefore, he might as well optimize the use of his time and exert his effort with only a selected number of people who are more likely to buy.

Here is where demographics come in. A salesman knows his product and the target market, which is defined by age, sex, marital status, disposable income, occupation type, lifestyle, etc. So, even if a salesman is merely standing by a booth in a mall, you can bet that he is looking out for someone who fits a particular demographic profile, judging a person by looks before he making a sales pitch. This way, he can save time and energy as well as increase the probability of making a sale.

(2) Appointment Setting

In some lines of business, individualized presentations are essential. Therefore, after the salesman has come up with a short list of prospects, he would then contact them and try to “sell” the idea that the prospect needs to see the presentation. However, the salesman has to do this without giving enough information that could make the prospect reject the offer over the phone. This is very tricky, but a highly experienced salesman would know when and when not to insist on the face-to-face presentation, or when to close the sale over the phone.

And then there are the gatekeepers. The gatekeepers are the people other than the decision makers who may stonewall the salesperson from speaking with the prospect or decision maker. These include the spouse, phone operators, and—depending on the situation—even the personal secretary. When selling to large companies or organizations, overcoming these gatekeepers is just as important as making the actual presentation.

(3) Sales Presentation

This is the part where the salesman presents the product in a manner that he thinks would appeal to the prospect, based on the personality and “need” assessment he had done earlier. It is here where the salesman also discusses the benefits and advantages of the product. Usually, this is done keeping in mind the guideline KISS (“Keep It Short and Simple”), and doing it in an environment with the least distractions so as to keep the  prospect focused on the selling activity.

(4) Trial Closing

This is where the salesman tries to test and see if the prospect is interested in buying the product. Normally, the salesman would ask the prospect what color he prefers, how many pieces he wants, what the features are that he likes about the product, and so on. These questions are actually attempts to mentally condition the prospect to buy the product by slowly inducing him to make decisions normally associated with the process of buying, and doing so until the he loses all resistance and makes the purchase.

(5) Objection Handling

It is normal for prospects to have additional questions and sometimes outright objections to the product or sales presentation. Under these circumstances, a salesman’s duty is to address the points raised. It could be as simple as highlighting a feature of the product that was missed during the presentation, but it could sometimes be more serious.

In that event, a salesman may selectively conduct another presentation designed directly to address the points raised. If all else fails, a salesman may even dangle some freebies or bundle a special offer just to seal the deal—he could avail of whatever additional deal-sweeteners he might have under his disposal.

(6) Closing the Sale

By the time the salesman reaches this point, the prospect would have been fully convinced about purchasing the product. This stage should be smooth sailing, so the last thing the salesman wants to do is to fumble with unexpected lapses that can spoil the sales attempt.  

Now, keep in mind that the steps discussed above may vary depending on the product or service being offered, the sales organization, the sales culture, the trade practices, and various other factors. In some cases, some of the steps might not even be necessary at all (like stages one and two), or perhaps the processing of the transaction is more brisk and with less need for detailed discussions.

But going back to the five reasons why people don’t buy, be aware that these reasons can occur at any point in the sales process. However, these five reasons occur more frequently in Stage 3 and Stage 4, and are least likely in Stage 6 or the final stage.

Next, we will discuss the nature of the “five reasons why people don’t buy” and see how mastering the countermeasures to these can sometimes bring more benefits than the sales presentation itself.

Next: The Nature of Refusals to Buy

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