146: Chasing Buyer “No” Replies

<p>Everyone hates to be rejected, but not many people have this as a fundamental aspect of their work.  We ask colleagues for help and they assist, we ask our bosses for advice and they provide it.  Buyers though are different.  They can easily find a million reasons not to buy and unashamedly tell us “no”.  The rejection itself is not so much the problem, but how we respond to and deal with the rejection.</p> <p>In Japan, the two areas our clients seek special attention in sales training for their team are around understanding the client’s needs and asking for the order or closing, as it is commonly referred to in sales parlance. </p> <p>The poor questioning skills are a result of salespeople wanting to tell the buyer many things about the features, but not bothering to ask well designed questions to uncover their client's needs.  This alone explains why buyers say “no”.  If we don’t properly understand what they need, then how do we suggest solutions that make sense and motivate the buyer to action? </p> <p>The two problems are closely linked.  Even assuming that the questions are well designed and that the solution selected is professionally conveyed to the buyer, they may still say no.  This is because the buyer’s hesitations have not been properly addressed.  There was something unsatisfactory in what they heard from the salesperson and they are not convinced this is the right solution.</p> <p>This is why a “no” will certainly be forthcoming, especially from Japanese buyers.  Risk aversion is a fundamental part of Japan and buyers observe this in distinct detail.  They would rather give up on something better, if they thought there was a possibility their decision might bring some stain on their record. </p> <p>Failure is hard to recover from in Japan.  There are no second chances here. People have learnt the best way to avoid failing is to take as few decisions as possible.  Especially any decisions which can be traced back to you.  Best to have a group decision, so the blame can be spread around and no one