The AAA Sales Framework

Summary

• When someone says, "I need to think about it," acknowledge their comment by repeating back to them what they said. For example, "It sounds like you want to talk to your partner."

• Associate their need to think or talk to someone with a positive buying behavior. You can say, "That's super smart. It's what a lot of our best customers do."

• Ask a follow-up question to navigate around the obstacle. For instance, if they mention needing to talk to someone, ask, "If they said no, what would you do?" This approach keeps the conversation soft and open.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest that when you're facing a customer who says, "I need to think about it," start by acknowledging their hesitation. Simply repeat their reason back to them, like, "It seems like you want to discuss this with your partner." This shows you're listening and respectful.

Next, relate their need to think it over with a positive behavior. You can say something like, "That's a really smart idea. Many of our best customers take this approach." This not only validates their thought process, but also positions them among the best.

Then, gently probe with a question to guide the conversation forward. For instance, if they mention needing to talk to someone, you can ask, "If your partner said no, how would you proceed?" This keeps the dialogue open and soft, making sure you are not coming off as too pushy.

These strategies are low-cost in terms of effort and time and can greatly improve how you interact with potential clients. They help build trust and encourage the customer to feel good about the buying process, potentially leading to better outcomes for your business. It's all about maintaining a respectful and supportive tone while guiding them gently towards a decision.

Full Transcript

it's something I haven't talked about under the gazillions of stuff I've talked about sales I just joined my team on it over the weekend when someone says something back I need to think about it I need to talk to my spouse I need to talk to decision maker whatever it is that's not yes we have to acknowledge so it's first a is you acknowledge what the person said and that's usually repeating back to them so it sounds like you you you want to talk to your your your partner cool second day you want to associate them saying that thing with a purchasing Behavior or at least a positive trait I think that's super smart it's actually what a lot of the best customers we have do third a ask the next question which then leads you into whatever your obstacle overcome is or like if they said no what would you do then and so rather than someone says I have to talk to my spouse and I'm like well if they say no what would you do it softens it a lot and allows us to maintain a little bit of space between what they said and me directly smashing it