ACTION 1: COMPLETE A DECISION READINESS CHECK
Consolidating begins with identifying whether your buyer is ready to make a decision or commitment. Rather than a “trial close,” as it’s sometimes called, I think of it as a readiness check because that is what we need to do—determine if they are ready to move forward in making a decision or if something is holding them back. The decision readiness check (the check-in) also keeps you from overselling and possibly losing the sale.
In WIIFT, we don’t close until we know the buyer is ready. The check-in is your opportunity to continue to involve them as you test the waters before asking for a decision, ensuring you have accomplished what you both needed. Often the readiness check guides the buyer to make the decision then and there. If they are not ready, you may need to move back to a previous step in the WIIFT system.
How do you check in to determine when someone is ready to make a decision? By paying attention to the buyer:
- Look for body language signals.
- Listen for readiness words and sounds.
- Ask readiness questions and listen for the responses.
Look for Body Language Signals
Paying attention to the buyer’s communication signals is important throughout the entire conversation, and perhaps even more so at the end. If you meet with your buyers face to face, observing the clues they send with their body gives you some insight into their state of readiness.
Positive body language signals include more relaxed movements, making eye contact with you, leaning toward you, and smiling. Buyers also send clues such as collecting their papers, looking at their phone or clock, making impatient body movements, making eye contact between buyers, standing up, or closing their laptop to indicate they want the conversation to end.
Our dilemma in reading body language is that we don’t know if they want to end the conversation because they have what they need and are ready to move forward in the sale, because they have made a “no” decision, or because they have just run out of time. We need to build on our visual check-in with verbal clues.
TIMELY TIP
Body language clues can be misread. A head nodding “yes” doesn’t mean the buyer is agreeing with you: it means they are agreeing with what they are thinking. In some cultures, a head nodding is simply a way of sending the “I hear you” signal and being respectful.
Listen for Readiness Words and Sounds
If you are one of the millions of sellers who never sees your buyer, visual messages are nonexistent. That’s why words and other sounds are valuable clues for identifying readiness. And if you are fortunate to be in the same room with your buyer, matching your visual observations with words and sounds provides a more accurate check-in.
Buyers send clues about their readiness with the words they use. They may talk as if they are already using your solution or owning it. Phrases and questions that indicate they are in an ownership mindset are:
• “When we use this . . .”
• “It looks like we could start . . .”
• “Our purchase order process is a bit cumbersome, but we can make it work.”
• “How do your payment terms work?”
• “This is more complete, effective, or less expensive than what we use/do now.”
What buyers say is a clue to their readiness to move forward. How they communicate at this point of the conversation is also important:
• Pauses and hesitations in their speech may indicate unstated concerns or questions.
• An increase in their pace of speech could signal that they are ready to move forward and would like you to move things along. Or it could mean that they want to end the conversation because they have made a “no” decision.
• The confidence in their voice is a gauge of their certainty in making a decision.
• Background noises, such as shuffling papers or keyboard clicking, are clues that may indicate they are distracted and no longer paying attention and that they need the conversation to end.
These are signals that help determine readiness. Yet, we still don’t know if the words and sounds mean they are really ready unless we ask Them.
Ask Readiness Questions and Listen to the Responses
By matching the clues of body language and the buyer’s words and sounds with a check-in (readiness) question, you confirm what you are observing. Responses to readiness questions clearly identify where buyers are in their thoughts—and in the decision process as well. Readiness questions also check for any final objections or concerns.
Here are some thought-starters for readiness questions:
• “Have we covered all the information you need to make a decision/move forward?”
• “How does what we’ve discussed sound to you?”
• “What concerns do you have about this solution or about me/my company?”
• “What barriers do you see in implementing this?”
• “What else do you need to know?”
• “Are there any open items we need to cover?”
• “How does this solution align with your goals for _________?”
• “How do you feel/what do you think about the solution we’ve presented?”
• “How does our proposal line up with your expectations?”
• “What are your next actions in making a decision?”
• “Have we provided all the details you need to know for us to move forward?”
Notice there are both closed- and open-ended questions listed. The open-ended readiness questions provide the buyer with the opportunity to tell you more about the why of their level of readiness.
Closed-ended readiness questions are also helpful because we need to start hearing “yes” or “no”—and so does the buyer. When buyers hear themselves say “yes,” they often talk themselves into the decision and ask you for the next step in buying at this point. It’s powerful persuasion.
If you hear “yes” and positive feedback, then move to the next Action in Then Consolidate.
If you hear “no,” move back a step or two in WIIFT. You may need to learn more in Investigate or refocus the buyer on the value and work through additional objections in Facilitate. That’s okay. Revisiting previous WIIFT steps helps you move forward when the time is right.
Readiness questions are aimed at keeping the conversation collaborative, building your confidence in asking for the decision, and ensuring you aren’t overselling. (It took a few tough situations for me to realize that many buyers don’t want to prolong this part of the process, they want to “get it done!”)