Call me after the holidays

November 14, 2013

By Ray Barry, Chief Shreducation and Member Relations Officer

Ahh, the good old “call me back after the holidays” stall. I am sure you have heard this stall or objection a million times and, maybe heard it as you read this post as we approach Thanksgiving.

Although some of your prospects may actually need to wait for January to move forward because of internal procedures or budgets, the majority of prospective buyers know it is one of the best stall tactics in history. This stall tactic is really an objection and what the prospect is telling you is “I do not see the value to move forward with you yet.” Or, maybe you did not do a good job of qualifying them as a valid sales opportunity.

At this point you have not established a sense of urgency to buy today. The know, like and trust feelings are not there yet. The risk of doing business with you is greater than the possible rewards at this point.

Does the prospect really want your destruction services? Have they recognized they have a problem that can be aligned with your solution? Is this person the real decision maker?

It is an easy way to get rid of the salesperson because most sales people will say “OK, I will call you back then” and go away without asking any questions. Instead of being a puppet or pawn to the prospect, find out what the true objection is or at least make it more difficult for him or her to stall. It is time to get the guts to ask why.Here are some suggestions on how to handle this stall tactic:

• What will be different in January?
• Is there a specific reason you prefer I get back to you then?
• What is preventing you from taking action today?
• Do you see yourself buying after the holidays, etc.?
• Could you start now and pay after the holiday?
• When I call you back in January, what happens next?

It is the responsibility of the sales professional, not the prospect, to show how a delay can cost more than purchasing now.