#08 DFQ - The YES/NO Mix
Posted on November 6th, 2006 by MichaelLesson
8
Before going on, experience has shown me that we should just take a moment to settle the whole ‘closing the sale’ issue. This is because, in certain industries, the oldsell memes (or ideaviruses) still prevail. Although I have witnessed the trend away from oldsell ideas like ‘closing the sale’ towards newsell ideas like ‘word of mouth’ many customers tell me they still experience a great deal of oldsell hype and pressure in the marketplace from salespeople who try to ‘close’ them.
The YES/NO Mix
To help loosen things up a bit for entrenched oldsell minds I ask the following question: Do you always get a YES from your customers?
Even the staunchest oldsell followers admit that they don’t always get YES, often they get NO. In other words, they get a mixture of responses from their customers, a mixture of YES and NO decisions. Yet, even though this YES/NO mix shows that they really don’t control the customer’s buying decision they still cannot see what could possibly take the place of ‘closing the sale’.
We can wrap up this discussion on ‘the close’ with a simple answer to the question: what is an alternative to ‘the close’? Answer: the TCB.
The TCB
The TCB is the ‘Taking Care of Business’ and we all do it quite naturally all the time. Daily human commerce is all about taking care of business. We are all familiar with making decisions, choosing amounts, considering options, refusing or accepting offers, listening to propositions, seeking advice, thinking things over, changing our minds, acting on impulse and so on. We’ve all done these things so many times. This is the normal daily taking care of business or TCB:
Examples:
TCB - What time is it? … It’s just turned noon.
TCB - Would you pass me the sugar? … Sure, here it is.
TCB - Which way to the nearest subway? … Sorry, I’m from out of town.
TCB - Do you want to go to the movies tonight? … No thanks, I’ve got to study.
TCB - Tea or coffee? … Just a glass of water, please.
TCB - How will you pay for this? … I think I’ll use my credit card.
TCB - Here are the contracts. … Thanks, I’ll give them to my lawyer.
TCB - Do you need anything else today? … No, but can you help me to the car?
TCB - Press the SEND button on the screen for your ecommerce transaction.
TCB - How do I opt-out of this e-course? … Just click on UNSUBSCRIBE.
TCB - I’m not happy with this product … Would you like your money returned?
TCB - Buddy, can you spare me a dime? … Sure, here’s a dollar.
TCB - Would you like to be considered for an invitation? … Yes, please.
TCB - Do you want to bring a guest? … Let me think who. I’ll call you back.
TCB - Would you like our How To Vote card? … No thanks.
TCB - Take a number and join the queue. … No, I’ll go next door.
TCB - We’ve got some new stock in, do you want to take a look? … Yes, but not now. I’ll come back later.
Whenever, as a customer, our attention is drawn to an offer we respond by taking care of business. This may involve refusing the offer or accepting the offer; a simple YES or NO.
It may involve negotiating over terms or seeking further advice. We might get competitive quotes or take time to think it over. The timing might be good now or better in July. All of this is normal TCB, taking care of business. With or without closing techniques we do what we want.
Whenever, as a customer, an offer is presented to us we TCB.
Key Newsell Insight:
It’s not the close that gives us the opportunity to TCB; it’s the start.
OR
It’s not checkmate that gives us the opportunity to TCB; it’s check.
DFQ #08:
How many times will you escape from uncheck to check tomorrow?
Why do you think answering this question every day is the #1 strategic newsell skill on which other skills will be built?
January 29th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
10,becuase I am taking care of my bussiness.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
10
January 10th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
10 - due to the fact it makes us more aware to change old habits and make new ones that will assist us in the Uncheck to Check or ‘the start” interaction.
January 9th, 2010 at 6:46 am
5 times i did 2 yesterday
November 27th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
not a sausage - saturday is a day of rest for me.
“plan tomorrow today”
and of course, just focus on the check - must become a habit, forget the rest just check check check and some of them will result in checkmate. done…
October 27th, 2009 at 7:47 am
10
October 13th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
x10
Repetition = Mastery
September 24th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
3 times.
It is a matter of discipline and to be always focussed. Also because we need to change the old stereotype of selling.
September 4th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Based on current experience and activities, 5 is the number. I’ve reworked my CRM to get me to focus on those accounts that I need t oengage with tomorrow.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
2 x
Answering this question every day reinforces the thought process, and the action required, it’s using PRR
August 27th, 2009 at 3:17 am
I am trying to escape from uncheck to check each day 10 times.
Answering this question each today will create the mark for a future patern.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:22 am
None, its weekend. Time for some R&R. To create a new habit
July 30th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
5
July 27th, 2009 at 12:07 am
It focuses my attention on what I have to do to grow and expand my business. Make as many checks as possible! Although uncheck is important for preparation and admin etc. and it’s impossible to start a business without it, I can’t grow my business any other way than by checking and checking again and then some.
June 9th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I’m pushing for 10 - sometimes tricky. But as a goal, excellent. I’m getting into the habit of X10 slowly.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
10 times, I’m certain answering this question repeatedly will break the cycle of uncheck to check and check to check-mate.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Atleast 10 times. The reason uncheck to check is the #1 skill, is that it increases your contact with your customers. Contact or check is the most advantageous way to get your product in the eye of the customer.
April 24th, 2009 at 4:12 am
on a constant basis through out the day
YES
March 17th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Once again…zero…but I continue to make progress towards getting to check once my business is open. I’m about to take possession of my completed logo and web template. So, very soon I’ll be adding content and setting up my web site.
I’m writing content for my online courses now, with much more content to write. So every word I write is closer to check.
The reason why this question is so important is the awareness that check leads to checkmate. By simple law of averages, the more opportunities you give the customer, the better the chance you have of getting to checkmate.
Whenever you do something over and over, a ratio appears. Out of the total number of times you present an offer (check) customers will take your offer (checkmate) a certain number of times. This may not always be a sale…it could be securing a lead, or getting an appointment. But, the better you get at check and the more often you use check, the higher your checkmate ratio will be over time.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:45 am
12X + …
Each and Every Day we must Repeat and Condition ourselves to Form the Habit of TCB and thereby Reinforcing a Habit Pattern which All other skills will emanate and be built upon. Therefore, in brief, Answer This Question (DFQ) Every Day = Uncheck to Check = TCB … in ALL Skills and Opportunities that may come our way … or … that WE Create … or … to Solve Problems or Overcome Obstacles … Always by Answering this Question, Applying the Answer and TCB.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:22 am
1 week
January 20th, 2009 at 4:17 am
I will uncheck as much as 10X tommorrow on all on going project.
Repetition is all that is needed to master a habit and any great skill.
It also keep me focus at all times.
Thanks
January 17th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
A pleasure to look at, go on with this! Thanks!
January 11th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
81 consciously..
hope it is a natural continual process during my working and waking hours
PRR builds habits, a pre-cursive step closer to grounding in our 2nd ‘(instinctual’) nature
check is a strategy that we control. Check is making contact with our customer (who makes decisions/takes care of their business) and
the more we do it, the more info our customers have to help them decide to say ‘yes’ to us
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:22 pm
10X
It keeps me focus - efu Escape From Uncheck
uncheck to check
December 14th, 2008 at 9:19 am
3 times
I think that by observing our behavior we become more aware of what we are doing.
November 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
10. Because it’s a call to action.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:10 am
five
May 26th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
10 times.
It’s a basic newsell skill because its a question that requires me to TCB.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am
20
It is reinforcing repetition repitition repitition
May 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
5x
Builds habit.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
2. weekend time
March 30th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
To get us off our backsides and build interactions with potential clients
March 20th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Tomorrow is Good Friday and my wife says it’s not cool to call people over the Easter Holidays but it’s OK to email them. I have a list of just over 500 people on my auto responder whom I will make an Easter Special offer to. That’s a potential to escape from uncheck to check 125 times each day over the next 4 days. Won’t know how many times I actually escape until I get a count of how many people open my email and how many click on the link inside my message.
PS: Today I escaped 49 times and 21 customers said ‘YES’ = Checkmate X21
March 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am
its like a tennis game…everytime the ball is in your court you after i served you have to react. We should put as many checks in the opposite court as many times as possible to get feedback from our customer so that we can provide a better view situation to him.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:58 am
10x
To create a “drill” so that the new-sell technique becomes second nature
January 29th, 2008 at 12:09 am
5 times….. it’s creating a habit
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 am
By focusing on the check rather than the close, I’m much more comfortable approaching a new customer and by giving myself a number to reach for (and attain) I’m more apt to move myself from uncheck to check when an opportunity presents itself (which seems to happen more when I am looking for them…hmmm)
January 9th, 2008 at 2:35 am
0
repetition begats retention.
January 6th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
as we become more aware we begin to conciously change our language.more than 10xs
December 27th, 2007 at 9:56 am
It applies the principal of “spaced repetition” i.e. something is learned or “internalised” over a period of time and a period of exposures to it…
December 13th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
10 to keep in mind the importance of doing the most important thing first
December 12th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
10 times today
October 24th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
6
It builds the habbits of consistantly thinking of moving from uncheck to check.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
7 or more
The reason? Well, it’s certainly got me thinking about how often I get in touch with clients and when I’m in touch with them I’m very aware of the opportunity to move from check to checkmate. This has actually happened more this week than in a normal week because I’m making myself more available, asking questions and offering solutions to client problems or meeting their needs. As a result they’re happier, I’m doing more business and becoming aware of the difference in effort between generating leads and actually doing the work. What I mean is the time balance of my PR efforts and the ‘actually work’ are beginning to increase on the PR side. My time is better spent talking to people and keeping in check. This use of my time is increasingly where the value for my business is.
Note: You should probably put a word limitation on these responses, I do go on sometimes!
September 26th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
1
August 26th, 2007 at 3:22 am
Tomorrow is Sunday, I do not intend to do any checks. The exercise is to get used to thinking of future activities, I would think.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
10x to make us think about moving fromone point to another
July 19th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
35 as long as I get my new client list
July 6th, 2007 at 7:58 am
5
The answer to the question is focus. If get the focus on the check, we get the focus of the oldsell, close.
July 3rd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
4
June 24th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
8 letters and emails
June 15th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
0
March 30th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Let’s see, tomorrow is Friday. Probably about 20 times on a business level, many more on the personal.
The importance of coming up with a number of shifts from uncheck to check gives us the current view of the situation; we can then use that information to help form the better view of the situation (x 10 to the y power).
March 12th, 2007 at 6:14 am
1/2 x 15 (at least)
March 9th, 2007 at 4:14 am
2
March 6th, 2007 at 11:46 am
5
February 21st, 2007 at 1:52 am
10X
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:25 am
10X
Its getting into a habit that will build onto bigger and better things.