This technique is one of the most valuable at all levels. It gives the prospect a preferred option as opposed to a yes or no opportunity. It also limits the number of decisions that a prospect or potential customer needs to make.
If you give the prospect too many opportunities to think about the various options, then it makes a decision much more difficult. At all levels of business development and sales, if there are too many options on the different levels or stages of the lead cycle, then it can add to the lead time because of the difficulty in tying down on one concept, principle or product etc.
I use an example such as throwing 2 dozen mobile phones or coloured pens on the table, and ask you to pick one, or which one do you want. This not only takes time, but leaves the answer to chance. Opposed to saying I have a red or blue pen, what colour do you prefer? I give you an option of 2 or 3, which have a value, and form of trial closing, we want to see how the prospect reacts to choice options.
When there is too much to think about and too many options, which can also happen when a sales professional attempts to sell the full product suite on a first attempt. If using the “either or process” correctly, the highest end option will be offered first such as the top of the range vehicle in car sales, followed by, if that is out of you reach we can do the lesser option, being mid range.
Done proficiently, this does not give the customer the impression they are being pushed to make a yes or no decision even though ultimately they are.
It is a useful tool for when a customer is not convinced on a certain solution or product for which you have other options that may be preferred, and allows the sales process to continue and mould another option.
Giving a prospect too many options, allows the customer in general, too many reasons not to make the small commitments at that point in time, and a way to not make commitments. Which is where “In principle or concept” closing comes in?
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