CHAPTER 9

ASK

YOU’VE WOOED AND COURTED WITH – IT’S TIME TO GO FOR THE KISS

Before you leave the meeting there’s one thing you need to do …

ASK. Ask for the business or the order.

You’ve targeted, you’ve connected, you’ve met – now it’s time for the final step in the model.

Earlier on I said that following up after networking was the thing that the vast majority of people hate in the business development process. I lied.

It’s asking that people hate the most; loathe and detest, even.

And whenever I ask people why they find this the most hated aspect, the answer is always that they fear rejection: that big fat, loud, all-consuming ‘No’.

In this chapter we are going to look at how you should ask, when you should ask and why you should ask, as well as finding out how to deal with objections or concerns the prospect may raise and what to do when you hear the mind-numbingly non-committal and potentially soul destroying ‘Leave it with me, I’ll think about it’. Aargh!

First Things First: You Must ASK

Actually, to be completely accurate, ask and then say nothing.

That’s it, folks. Sure, there are loads of books out there detailing bucketloads of closing techniques, from the exotic to the downright weird, from the ‘order form close’ through to the intriguingly titled ‘Duke of Wellington’, but these techniques all share one thing in common: they’re rubbish.

Developing business is no different from trying to get someone into bed (more or less). No, seriously, bear with me on this one.

You fancy someone and think you’d like to develop a relationship with them. You have absolutely no way of knowing whether this person is going to be someone you’ll simply share conversation with, or hold their hand, or kiss passionately, or sleep with, or even end up spending the rest of your life with. However, there is an attraction – at least on your part – so you figure that it’s worth getting to know them.

Much in the same way, when you approach a stranger at a networking event you have no idea whether you are simply going to spend a very convivial 20 minutes chatting with them or they’re going to end up being your best client ever and the person who makes you a fortune.

If you like the look of someone (we’re back to dating here) then you have two choices:

The first option is certainly more direct, cuts out any of the nonsense and gives you instant feedback – albeit a great deal of it may be negative. And, if you are thick-skinned enough, it might be the one you prefer. It’s the one that companies selling replacement windows adopt when they phone you at home and try to sell you their wares, or the headhunter or independent financial adviser. No courtship, just straight to the point.

However, generally speaking that’s not the way we go about developing a relationship in our society, whether of a business or romantic nature.

Most non-sales people excel at the wooing and the courtship. Not only do they appreciate that simply going up to prospective customers and asking ‘Do you fancy buying this or do you want us provide this service?’ is not the done thing, but neither would they feel at all comfortable with being so direct. They understand that bringing in new business takes time and involves a courtship of sorts.

A romantic courtship runs something like this. We work in the same building together, we catch each other’s eye in the lift, and we exchange a few words. We find out what department we work in and there’s an exchange of emails, which over time become a little flirty – but not too much.

Things progress and soon we are meeting up for a coffee at lunchtime, which becomes lunch. Maybe, after a couple of lunches together, I suggest we grab something to eat one Saturday night.

So far so good. We are getting on, have found we have a lot in common, share similar values, have talked about previous relationships and made it clear that we enjoy one another’s company.

Dinner on a Saturday night is a world away from lunch during the week. I know it; you know it. Neither of us has read a book that tells us this. Our parents never sat us down and laid out the ‘dating scale’, where coffee is at the bottom and dinner on a Saturday the top. We just instinctively know.

Dinner works out great. There’s a lot of flirting, the wine, the food and the atmosphere help the mood and at the end of it there’s a kiss. Maybe not a full-blown snog yet, but a kiss nevertheless. If we part without so much as a peck on the cheek, then it would have turned out to be a disappointing night, because we had expectations.

Following dinner and over the next few days or weeks we go to the theatre, take a walk in the park, go to the cinema and wander round a gallery.

A business courtship is very similar, but rather than the goal being to roll around in bed, it’s securing a sale: both mutually satisfying (most of the time) but in a different way.

Prospective clients are taken for coffee then out to lunch with a view to establishing a stronger personal relationship and to learn more about them and how your product or service can be of benefit.

The client is then invited to the rugby or for a golfing day or perhaps to Glyndebourne or the Grand National, or maybe to the opening of a new art exhibition. All of that is courtship and a form of wooing.

But don’t be under the mistaken belief that if you take your prospective business partner out for sufficient lunches, dinners and events then, by way of osmosis, you will just be given the business. It doesn’t work like that.

Similarly, a prospective partner doesn’t say to themselves: ‘Oh well, I’ve been taken to The Ivy, then that preview of the latest exhibition at the Tate and they always order a Venti rather than a tall latte, so I might as well sleep with them.’ At some point during a romantic courtship someone has to go for the kiss. You have to move in close and go for it. Otherwise there’s a never-ending courtship, with both parties becoming increasingly confused about precisely what the other seeks from this ‘relationship’. Are you going to end up in bed or be just good friends?

As a person in business you can wine and dine your prospective clients as much as you wish, but there comes a point where you have to do the business equivalent of going for the kiss – ask for their business. And you do this for the same reason as you would in a potentially romantic relationship. You cannot afford to be spending time courting someone who takes your hospitality but gives their business to a rival.

Sure, keep in touch, don’t let them off your radar, but if they are happy with their current supplier, one sure way of learning that is asking them to do business with you. At that point they will let you know unequivocally that they intend to remain faithful – at least for the time being. And here is where business relationships do differ from romantic ones. A business relationship is never for life: organizations do change suppliers and neither are they monogamous – they are quite often up for a bit on the side so they can sample what else is out there and ditch who they have right now, should they ever feel taken for granted.

A few months back I was having a chat with the CEO of a law firm in the Midlands. He told me that a major PLC had been wooing and courting him over the previous two years. As part of this courtship he and his wife had been guests of the organization at the Cheltenham Festival – twice. They’d been taken to London to have a grandstand view of the London Marathon, which was followed by a cookery lesson given by a leading chef, topped off with a slap-up meal at said chef’s restaurant.

When I commented on how lucky he was to have such corporate entertainment lavished on him, he paused and said: ‘Yes, but do you know what, no one from the organization has yet approached me and asked for my business. To be honest, I haven’t a clue what it is they want exactly.’

The prospect is expecting you to ask. If you start asking for the order every time you see people, I guarantee that your business development figures will go through the roof.

The Use of Silence

You might ask for the business something like this:

And so on. The point is: ASK. It may be trite but if you don’t ask, the answer is always ‘No’. If you don’t ask, your competitors will.

But once you have asked, once you have posed a question similar to any of the above, you must stop talking.

Silence is the single most powerful way to close. People don’t like silences, they’re awkward, so when there is one we are tempted to fill it. That’s fine when you have just asked for the business, just as long as it’s not you who fills it! Shut up, look your prospect in the eye and wait.

Keep On Asking

It’s not just prospective clients you need to ask for business, it’s existing ones too. For example, Sean is the managing partner of a law firm with which I have had an association for nine years and I’ve known him for the past eight. When in the recruitment sector I did quite a bit of work with them, but training has been just now and again.

I had been thinking about approaching managing partners of small to mid-sized law firms directly, rather than going the normal route via the individuals charged with looking after their learning and development. I had never attempted this before, but given the economic climate I figured that a lot of them would be sitting at their desks wondering how they were going to generate more business and looking for ‘quick wins’. In a training situation this would mean punchy, to-the-point sessions that would furnish senior lawyers with tools and advice they could put in to practice right away, rather than long-winded training programmes spread over months.

I confess that I tried this idea out on Sean, despite the fact that we had not spoken to one another for 18 months or so as I had been dealing with the HR manager. The email I sent him went like this:

Good morning Sean

I was happily minding my own business when a copy of your in-house magazine landed on my door mat. Having devoured the contents I then noticed that for some reason they allow you to write the introduction!

Anyway, I am delivering some training at Bond Academy on Friday afternoon, but wondered if you were free, and if you fancy a coffee and natter in the morning?

Appreciate it’s short notice, so no worries if you can’t make it but thought it was worth asking.

Nick

He replied, letting me know that he wasn’t free. So I sent this:

Let me run this by you, Sean. I’m doing a lot of BD/selling training with partners at firms throughout the UK. Two formats:

1 Half-day intensive course on the essentials about following up leads, making appointments and closing business. Second half of the day: 45-minute one-to-one coaching sessions with those who attended to discuss strategies to help them achieve their specific BD goals.

2 I sit in a room from 9 until 5.30 and run a BD/selling surgery, with partners coming to chat to me about whatever problems, issues, difficulties they are having regarding bringing in more work.

Cost: £X + VAT. No expenses and no preparation time. That’s it. I’m doing this with several partnerships and they flippin’ love it, plus your partners are made to feel as though you are really giving the support and tools necessary to win business in a difficult climate.

Let me know what you think and if you reckon it or a hybrid of it might be just the ticket.

Have fun.

Nick

What happened?

A day later the HR director got in touch and told me to pop in to meet her and a colleague. A few weeks later I was doing a day’s training for all the partners.

Keep in touch. If you are visiting people in one area then go and see others in the same area, particularly existing clients. It lets them know that you still love them and that you are busy!

And keep asking for work. Just because they have bought from you in the past, don’t get complacent and assume that if they want you they will get in touch. Come up with new ways of packaging or presenting what you offer.

Dealing with Objections

Asking for the business is also the only way you’ll bring objections to the fore. And you need to know what your prospect’s objections are if the relationship is to move from being about catching up every six months and enjoying one another’s company, to trading with one another.

Objections are the reasons prospects will give you for not buying. They are like blockages in a pipe or a fallen tree across a road: they are in the way of your desired destination.

When you first hear an objection it’s tempting to become defensive or get disheartened and pretend it doesn’t matter. First things first: when it comes to objections, if you are getting them it’s because your prospect doesn’t understand the value of what it is you have to offer. In other words, you haven’t done your job properly.

You know those really posh jewellers that have gorgeous things in the window with no price? They don’t need price tags. You know that the shop is really expensive because of the overall impression that it gives you: the fixtures and fittings, the way the merchandise is displayed, the dress, appearance and demeanour of the staff, they way in which they approach and talk to you, the lighting, the flooring, the entire experience. In other words, if you do end up asking the price of a particular item, you are unlikely to express surprise at the cost. The retailer has handled the objection before it’s even been raised by conveying a very strong message of luxury.

If you are in the business of selling a product, one that you can show to a prospective client, although they have something to see and touch they still might not appreciate the difference in quality between your offering and a competitor’s, so you have to explain this.

The position is trickier if you are selling a service, because now it’s completely down to you to bring your service to life and ensure that prospects know what they are getting for their money and what makes you a better choice.

Remember, when it comes to handling objections, prevention is better than cure. Know the strengths and weaknesses of your product. Be aware of the possible objections you may expect to hear and address them before a prospect brings them up.

Say that your firm has an office in London and one in Birmingham. Previous prospects have said that they worry you don’t have other offices around the UK or one near where they are based. Rather than waiting for this to be raised or not mentioning it in the hope that they don’t, during your meeting with a prospect make a point of telling them about customers you already have that are far from Birmingham and London.

Another approach might be to say:

Of course, because we don’t have offices all over the UK, our operation is much more streamlined, which means our customers can get hold of us easily and are not paying for a large distribution network.

Or:

The fact that we have offices in London and Birmingham enables us to get to all our clients across the country quickly and easily, which is something they tell us they appreciate.

These phrases seek to knock any possible objection about location on the head even before the prospect has mentioned it.

What to Do If Objections Come Up

Don’t be scared of objections, but don’t take them at face value and simply counter them with a quick but polite reply. Instead, acknowledge the objection, discover more about why the issue has been raised, what’s worrying the prospect – and then deal with it.

An objection might be phrased like this:

TIFFANY: Well, Ted, what you say sounds great and on principle I am happy to use your services. However, I’m a little concerned that you are more expensive than the other quotes I’ve received.

The first thing to note here is that Ted has been thorough in his questioning, so he would know that she had obtained other quotes and – if she’d been willing to tell him – from which of his competitors. With his knowledge of the market, he should be aware roughly how much they would be charging.

So, when faced with the ‘It’s too expensive’ objection, Ted should avoid the temptation to contradict:

TED: We like to think that our price reflects the current market rate.

Or:

TED: Well, our research tells us that we are competitively priced.

You wouldn’t expect Tiffany’s reply to be

TIFFANY: Oh well then, in that case I will buy.

Here’s what Ted should do. First, acknowledge the objection:

TED: ‘OK, price is a concern for you.’

He should then write this down. Writing it down lets Tiffany know that he takes her concern seriously. Then he should add:

TED: Is there anything else that concerns you about using us?

Here he is being very up front. He might be scared to ask this, because what if Tiffany trots out an entire list of reasons? Well, what if she does? At least he’ll know what hurdles he needs to get over.

If you go for the kiss and the person rejects you, then it’d be nice to know why, wouldn’t it? If it’s because they just see you as a friend, then there’s not a lot you can do. If it’s because your breath smells of garlic, then you can go to Boots, get some breath freshener and bingo: game on!

So don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything else and get everything out in the open.

TIFFANY: Yes, I’m a little concerned that you don’t have a presence in the north east.
TED: OK. (He writes the objection down.) Anything else?
TIFFANY: No.
TED: Are you sure?
TIFFANY: Yes, that’s all.
TED: OK, if I can assure you about these two things, would you feel comfortable to go ahead?

That last is a cracking line and sorts the pros from the amateurs in developing business. What Ted has done here is use an objection as an opportunity to close.

This is sales ballet – elegant, yet powerful – and it moves him closer to a sale because he now knows that all he has to do is address those two concerns and Tiffany has told him she’ll buy from him.

Let’s just take one of the concerns: geographical location. Tiffany has let him know that she is concerned about the lack of an office in the North East.

The secret here is for Ted to discover what lies behind the objection. Often you’ll find that a stated objection simply masks the real issue, and it is that which he must discover.

Reasons why Tiffany might have said this include:

I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point.

In order to find out what the real worry is, Ted needs to ask:

TED: So what is it in particular about the absence of an office in the North East that concerns you?

If it’s about levels of service, then he should deal with that and provide reassurance: mention the names of other organizations with which he deals that have offices a similar distance away, and so on with whatever the concern is.

The Really Awkward One

‘I’ll think about it.’

This isn’t really an objection: it’s not as definite as an objection, which is why people feel so deflated whenever they hear it. At least with a proper objection you can get to the reason behind it, but this is tricky.

First of all, as with any objection, ask:

YOU: What is there in particular that you feel needs further thought? I’m concerned that I have perhaps omitted to tell you something about our service/product that gives you the full picture.
THEM: No, you’ve been very helpful and I feel I know everything I need to know. It’s just that I like to give such matters some thought.

Don’t push here! If you start to get too pushy, you’re going to annoy them and all that work you’ve done to get to know them will have been wasted. We all want to have time to think about purchasing decisions, so allow it.

Still, you want to keep control and not simply leave them with the ball in their court. That being the case, here’s what you say.

YOU: Fine, of course you want to think about it and I don’t want to hassle you, so I’ll leave it with you. If I’ve not heard from you within 2–3 weeks/3–6 months, when shall I drop you a line to see where we’re up to?

I did this recently at the end of a very convivial meeting. The prospect said she wanted to think about things and that first she had to persuade the management team that soft skills training was important. I told her that I would leave it with her and that I wouldn’t bother her again (people appreciate this, because most people set on business development do pester), but asked when I should next get in touch. I then gave her two options (the alternative close): ‘In a couple of months or in the New Year?’ to which she replied: ‘Give me a call in January.’

We both knew where we stood and I had her permission to get in touch in January. She knew that I would not bother her and equally I wasn’t left wondering whether, over the following few months, I could get in touch or leave it a little bit longer, which freed me up to concentrate on other potential clients for whom the timing might be better.

I had another client with whom I did loads of work and the feedback was great. We then lost touch for a year (I left one firm and set up on my own), but a chance meeting on a train with one of the senior directors resulted in another piece of work, which I duly delivered. Then I was asked to quote for work right at the last minute, which I did but did not win.

As part of my continual keeping in touch and going to see clients, I visited the head of training and her assistant. The meeting went well; we always have a laugh together. However, I asked them if there was anything else I could help them with and there was a pause, which told me that there was a problem: a blockage to business.

So I asked them to tell me what was on their mind and they did. They were worried that I only did ‘one thing’:

CLIENT: I have seen you deliver training, Nick, and I’m worried that what I saw is all you do. It was very good, but only for those kinds of big audience gigs.
ME: OK, what worries you about that?

She expanded and I made a note and listened intently.

I then reminded her of all the other stuff I had done for the firm in the past that was to groups of six to eight and had been on different topics. I also mentioned – referring to the names of clients she would recognize – other training sessions I had delivered and the response I’d had.

ME: Is there anything else?
CLIENT: Yes, when I called you to ask you to quote for that bit of work some months back, I asked another provider as well and whereas they came to see me because they felt they needed to know more before putting a proposal together, you didn’t. You just sent something over in writing.
ME: That’s true. Can I ask you what bothered you about that?

She told me that she felt that in my eagerness to secure the work, I had simply cobbled something together and that, in contrast to the other provider, she felt I had not put a lot of thought into it.

I mentioned the fact that when she had asked me to quote and provide a training outline, she had said she needed it urgently, which was why I hadn’t requested a meeting to find out more about her requirements. Ordinarily I would, and in fact that’s the way I prefer to work.

So, with everything out in the open, we were able to talk through her worries and I was able to address them. I thanked her for being so honest and was glad that she felt she could bring this to my attention.

What is amazing is that the two of them went on to say that the only reason they felt comfortable expressing their views was the fantastic relationship we had together. What is more – and this is the whole point of this – they told me that normally they don’t bother telling suppliers why they won’t use them.

Shortly after, I was asked to quote on some work and now all is back on track with the relationship.

Feel, Felt, Found

I was taught the three words FEEL, FELT and FOUND back in 1988 and they are as good today as they were then. Let me give you an example:

PROSPECT: I’m worried that you don’t have an office in the North East.
YOU: I know exactly how you FEEL. To be honest, you won’t be surprised to hear that a number of our clients FELT exactly the same way before using us, but what they have since FOUND is that they get either the same or a better level of service than they did before, because with only two offices internal communication is so much more joined up.

Possible Outcomes

To summarize: when you receive an objection, acknowledge it. Find out what lies behind it — the real reason — and then address it. Do this with each one in turn and check with the prospect whether they are comforted by your answer. If they’re not, find out what is still bothering them and repeat the process.

At the end of the meeting, with all objections dealt with, there are a number of possible outcomes:

1. They love you and your product and want to do business with you.

2. They love you and your product, but want to think about it/have a word with a colleague.

3. They love you and your product, but are happy with their current supplier.

4. They love you, but aren’t keen on what you’re offering.

5. They don’t like you one little bit.

There must be loads of other possible outcomes, but I reckon that these five cover 99% of them. Here’s what you do in each case:

1. Great – get the ball rolling/order form signed/delivery date agreed.

2. No problem. If you have asked the right questions, then you’ll know who the colleague is and you’ll have already asked how you go about setting up a meeting with them. If it’s someone you don’t know or meeting them isn’t possible, then tell your contact that you will leave it with them, but check when you should get in touch if you don’t hear from them in 2–3 weeks (use the alternative close and make sure that they see you make a note of the date in your diary).

3. Fine. If you have asked the right questions, you’ll know when the decision’s up for review and have asked them when you should next be in touch, because ‘I’d love to be considered for that’. Even if that’s not an option – they aren’t reviewing it in the foreseeable future – let them know that you won’t bother them but will perhaps drop them a line to see if your timing’s better.

4. Acknowledge the fact that you can’t help them. If you feel comfortable, ask if they know anyone who would be interested in what you have, or ask them what they would be interested in buying and, if possible, start supplying it – if the set-up cost is not too high and/or you think existing customers might want it.

5. Shake their hand. Thank them for their time and when you’re far enough away, mutter ‘NEXT!’ under your breath.