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So often, salespeople like Tom find themselves having great rapport with prospects, like Sylvia, who appear interested, and ready to take action—only for them to suddenly back-pedal and not be able to make a decision. Here are some typical prospect responses:

* “We want to hold off this year.”
* “I need to think about it. Let me talk to my counterparts.”
* “I'll get back to you.”
* “I need to look at other options.”

Tom mistakenly would let the prospect off-the-hook by saying, “OK. When’s a good time for us to talk again?” What Tom needed to do was discover the real reason why they could not come to a decision—to discover the prospect’s real decision-making process. This would help him overcome any hidden objections, allowing him to eventually QUALIFY the sales opportunity. But how Read More

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Paul Cherry and Patrick Connor presented a sales questions and leadership questions workshop based on their Questions that Sell and Questions that Lead programs at The Snack Food Association's Annual Management Workshop in September. Read More

Imaging Spectrum Magazine's November 2008 edition features Paul Cherry's article “To Keep Buyers Coming Back, Don't Be Nice — Be Real” on page 40. In this article, Cherry reveals the secret of customer loyalty: customer engagement. Read More

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