10 Lies Sales Prospects Tell You
Oct 04, 2022
By Ralph Cerullo
There are many lies that a prospect will tell you to accomplish avoiding telling you that they are either uninterested, going with another provider, or unable to make the decision themselves. For some odd reason, they have convinced themselves that lying is the best policy when dealing with salespeople because salespeople don’t have feelings, shouldn’t receive respect, and like guessing where they stand in the process. Unfortunately, this assumption is incorrect and although a stigma sticks to salespeople as being worthy of deception, the reality is that they serve an important function in the business ecosystem and often are performing a job that most would not have the stomach for. So, what does a liar in the sales world look like? Here are the top 10 lies that sales prospects tell their sales representative.
- Email me your proposal and then we can schedule a meeting to review it.
This is the oldest trick in the book. Once you hand over that precious proposal, kiss any control of the sale goodbye. You need to control when and how you present to your prospect and their team. They want the proposal because that is usually a requirement that they must fill. Don’t be a fool, hold your proposal until you are face-to-face with a decision maker.
- We’re just gathering some information right now.
Let me translate for you… “My usual vendor is getting the sale, but my company has a rule that I must collect three proposals for projects over $5000.00. Congratulations sucker, you’re rounding out my process.”
If they call you in, then they are most likely ready to proceed with the process of analyzing their options and potentially making a purchase. The internet is for researching, not onsite visits with busy prospects. If they claim that they are gathering information, politely suggest they call you after the discovery phase.
- Sorry I didn’t call you back, I’ve been busy.
Busy prospects are usually one of the following, nondecision makers cut out of the next leg of the process, afraid to say they won’t be doing business with you, or they just have no news and won’t just say that. No one is too busy to call you back unless they are too disinterested to call you back.
- We don’t have a budget.
People who have no budget need a budget. It’s that simple. When we don’t have a budget but need to make a purchase, we usually formulate one through discovery and the gathering of pricing. When someone says there is no budget, what they are really saying is, I need your help to make a budget. The reason they won’t say that is because they believe if they discuss money with a salesperson, they will pay above market value. The second potential reason someone says they do not have a budget is simply that they don’t want to tell you what it is.
- I’m the one making the decision.
Most purchases of any size require layered approval. This means that typically the individual you are speaking to will not be the one to write the check. They most likely will not want to tell you this because they feel that it diminishes their position with you. The fact is that more times than not, they are simply too insecure to be truthful about their role in the decision. Always know you need to uncover the decision-makers in the sale.
- Just call the office.
A prospect that won’t give you their direct phone number or their direct contact information is clearly not someone who is engaged in the process. When someone tells you that the best way to reach them is to call the office, they are really telling you upfront that they will be nearly impossible to contact moving forward. Ditch these prospects as they are already setting the stage to ghost you.
- It’s not just about the price.
Unless they can tell you exactly what the metrics are to determine the value of your product or service against the competition, then of course the sale is leveraged off price first. When someone is fixated on price but then tells you they’re not, don’t believe them. It will be up to you to create value and solve a problem for them to move them off the cost. Simply put, if they must tell you, it isn’t about the price, then it most certainly is.
- The other guy is cheaper.
When someone tells you that a competitor is cheaper, but they’ll give you the deal if you come down in price, they are most likely lying to you. Unless you have some material insight into why this might be true, make them prove it. Just think, what motivation do they have to give you the deal if the value is equal and their price is lower? If there is a value discrepancy, then they should pay full price for the better product or service.
- I’ll get you on the next one.
The best way to become a bid donkey for someone is to believe that a prospect not giving you a sale today will leave you any real chance of getting one from them tomorrow. These prospects will keep you coming back for more to help solidify their process time and time again. They know how to do it too, they’re abusers. Kick these prospects to the curb.
- Call me Friday, I should have an answer.
Whenever this happens, you hear that you’re getting the deal. What the prospect is really telling you is that they have a meeting Friday. The correct response from you is… “Great. Once you’ve decided, please give me a call.” Then, forget all about it. Otherwise, you’ll be calling into a prospect’s voicemail desperately all Friday before embarking on a weekend prefaced with typical sales disappointment.
It may sound cynical, but buyers are liars. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t good people or that you should dislike them in any way, but rather that you need to be smart about what you choose to believe and how you read into casual statements made by people who aren’t ready to buy.