Moving right along, we are up to number 5 on our list of 14 things great salespeople do.

5.  Great salespeople like to hear the word “no” from a customer.

This tells them they need to change, and they listen and learn from it.  In fact, great salespeople love to hear rejection early on in a sales call, because they know the most valuable asset they have is their own time.

The number one part left off a sales presentation is the close. 

Reason is simple: Too many salespeople are afraid of hearing “no,” so they think they can get around it by not closing the sale.  That way the customer doesn’t ever have the opportunity to say “no.”

Great salespeople want to hear the word no. In fact, many times they will move rapidly in a sales presentation to the point where the customer may tell them “no.”  They do this for two reasons.

First, it helps them determine where the customer is coming from and what they value.  By hearing “no” from the customer, the salesperson can then begin to alter their conversation and, in turn, what they may ultimately propose to the customer.

Second, it allows the great salesperson to determine if the customer/prospect is worth the salesperson’s time.

Average and poor salespeople spend far too much time with people who have no intention of buying.  Great salespeople know the most important asset they have is their time.

They know the best way to sell something is by spending more time with those who have the potential to buy.   If a customer doesn’t have the ability to buy, the salesperson wants to know as soon as possible. 

What questions can you ask early in a sales presentation to help you verify if the person is capable and inclined to buy?

I’m not saying I want you to forgo the opportunity to turn a reluctant buyer into a customer, but what I want you to do is to make sure you’re using your most valuable resource, your time in as effective manner as possible.

Copyright 2013, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.