Product
Price
Personality
Procrastination
Priority
Politics

Product – At this point in the process, the likelihood of a product concern is minimal.  A solid discovery process including proper questioning techniques should and will lead to correct product specifications for their specific application.  It is possible however that throughout the process, your prospect’s needs may have changed.  Needs can and do change.  Simply ask, “Has there been some changes in your application or business that may have altered the specifications for this product?” If so, you will need to re-define the customer’s product needs and move forward from there.        

Price – I find that the simplest way to determine if price is the issue is to ask a straight-forward question.  “Is it price that is preventing us from doing business?”  If the answer is yes, then you must find a way to convince the customer that the value of your product is sufficient to offset the cost differences.  It is imperative that you know your product in comparison to your competitors.  Identify the benefits of your product versus theirs in terms of how it will save them time, money and effort.  This can and likely will lead to some form of negotiation.  The tendency at this point is to reduce the price.  If a price reduction is necessary, it could come in the form of a lesser quality product or reduction in service offerings.  The customer can then make an informed decision based on options. 

Personality – The possibility exists that the prospect may be completely sold on your product or service and everything that your company has to offer.  However, they may not be entirely convinced that you are the right fit to effectively manage their business.  If you believe this to be the case, it is your obligation to disclose the situation to your company.  At the same time, it is recommended that you confront your prospect to ascertain if this is in fact the case.  The fact that you talked with them in this regard may just be sufficient for them to say ”why don’t we just get started and we’ll see how it goes".

Procrastination – Think about your daily activities and how you prioritize them.  It is human tendency to put off the things that we do not like to do or those that are not perceived as an effective use of our time.  From your prospects standpoint, changing suppliers is no different.  The process of changing suppliers is time consuming and unless you have provided a compelling reason for them to make a change, they are not likely to spend a lot of time to do so.  Review the benefits of your product/service and your organization to help your prospect realize that the time spent to make the change is in the best interest of themselves and their company.    

Priority – All sales are a priority to us as Sales Professionals.  That may not necessarily be the case with your prospect.  Often times our contacts are involved in other facets of the business and are drawn in many different directions.  While the sale is very important to us, it may not be their number one priority. 
In this case, we have to respect their time and recognize that like us, our customers need to prioritize their tasks.  Acknowledge their busy schedule and ask for a more convenient timeline.  Once determined, ensure that you contact them at the specific time requested.   

Politics – There are several scenarios and/or political situations that could arise.
 

·         Is there any history between your companies that would cause the decision maker to have their doubts?  

·         Is your decision maker really the decision maker?  Often times, you are led to believe that they are they ones that can say “yes” but in actuality, they require final approval from a higher authority.  

·         Is there a close relationship between someone in your competitor’s organization and your prospect? 

These are hurdles often faced by salespeople but rarely addressed.  Often times there is a hesitancy to raise these issues due to fear of a negative outcome.  The fact is, they must be addressed and resolved in order to move forward.  

In summary, if your prospect does not seem willing to make a change to your company, review each of the above determining factors.  As you go through them, you will likely disclose their concerns.  Take corrective measures and close the sale.