How to Use the Prospect's RESTROOM to Close the Deal, Seriously!
You have all seen this scenario: You are presenting to a prospect and they are seriously interested in what you have to offer. You quote the prices and use your closing questions... “Which one of those works best for you?” The husband turns to his wife and says, “What do you think dear?” And then she replies, “I don’t know; what do you think?” They go back and forth with little progression in the decision making process while you sit there allowing the situation to get out of control.
Typically, this is when they turn to you and say, “We need to think about it and we will get back with you.” And once this happens, the sale is not typically lost. But… there is still hope.
What they really want to say is, “Cody, We like you; but we don’t want to talk about this in front of you.” To overcome this I suggest a two-step solution:
1) Make a recommendation, and;
2) Ask to use the bathroom.
Step one: Make a recommendation
Try to help them by making a recommendation based on what is best for them. Giving a recommendation is a salesmen’s way of taking the customer by the hand and leading them through the decision that is going to benefit them. It’s easy, this is what you say, “Here’s my recommendation. If you can swing the $12,000 plan, then go with it. If you can’t because it’s not in the budget, there’s nothing wrong with the $10,000 or the $7,000. I always tell people, Something is better than nothing.”
Try to overcome the problem or obtain a decision while you are all sitting there. If they still want to ‘think about it’ or they give you alternative stalls/doubts, then proceed to Step Two: Ask to use the bathroom
Step Two: Ask to use the bathroom
If you can’t get them to decide while you are sitting there, then ask to use the bathroom. I wait until they are talking back and forth and then I say, “ I hate to interrupt but, do you mind if I use your restroom real quick? I apologize and I feel like it’s rude but I drank too much soda on the way over?”
They will always say ‘Yes’ and usually want to check to make sure the bathroom is clean. Depending on the feel of the room I might say, ”Okay great, this will give you guys a chance to talk about it.“ At which point, I leave the room.
Whether you use the restroom or not is irrelevant. The purpose of this charade is to get you out of the room so they can discuss this decision. If you are lucky you can even hear them talking while you are in the restroom and this will give you some insight to what they are thinking.
Often times, when you exit the restroom and sit back on the couch, they will still be talking. They may have even made a decision. Of course we all want a ‘yes.’ A ‘yes’ is better than a ‘no’ and a ‘no’ is the next best answer.
Typically, this is when they turn to you and say, “We need to think about it and we will get back with you.” And once this happens, the sale is not typically lost. But… there is still hope.
What they really want to say is, “Cody, We like you; but we don’t want to talk about this in front of you.” To overcome this I suggest a two-step solution:
1) Make a recommendation, and;
2) Ask to use the bathroom.
Step one: Make a recommendation
Try to help them by making a recommendation based on what is best for them. Giving a recommendation is a salesmen’s way of taking the customer by the hand and leading them through the decision that is going to benefit them. It’s easy, this is what you say, “Here’s my recommendation. If you can swing the $12,000 plan, then go with it. If you can’t because it’s not in the budget, there’s nothing wrong with the $10,000 or the $7,000. I always tell people, Something is better than nothing.”
Try to overcome the problem or obtain a decision while you are all sitting there. If they still want to ‘think about it’ or they give you alternative stalls/doubts, then proceed to Step Two: Ask to use the bathroom
Step Two: Ask to use the bathroom
If you can’t get them to decide while you are sitting there, then ask to use the bathroom. I wait until they are talking back and forth and then I say, “ I hate to interrupt but, do you mind if I use your restroom real quick? I apologize and I feel like it’s rude but I drank too much soda on the way over?”
They will always say ‘Yes’ and usually want to check to make sure the bathroom is clean. Depending on the feel of the room I might say, ”Okay great, this will give you guys a chance to talk about it.“ At which point, I leave the room.
Whether you use the restroom or not is irrelevant. The purpose of this charade is to get you out of the room so they can discuss this decision. If you are lucky you can even hear them talking while you are in the restroom and this will give you some insight to what they are thinking.
Often times, when you exit the restroom and sit back on the couch, they will still be talking. They may have even made a decision. Of course we all want a ‘yes.’ A ‘yes’ is better than a ‘no’ and a ‘no’ is the next best answer.