You never want to make assumptions in the sale.

If you feel yourself assuming something, you need to lean into that and ask a question about what it is that you are assuming. Because when you make assumptions in the sale, it will likely lead you down a really long and expensive path.

[TRANSCRIPT]

Hey everyone, it’s Shannyn Lee, Managing Director at Win Without Pitching. 

I wanted to talk with you for a hot minute here about a trend that I’ve been seeing across my client coaching calls the last couple weeks. I’m hearing people use this phrase: 

“Well, I assumed that I was talking to the decision maker.”

“I assumed that the clients’ need was the need that they stated.” 

“I assumed that ASAP when I asked them when the project needed to start was because they needed it really fast.” 

You never want to make assumptions in the sale. If you feel yourself assuming something, you need to lean into that and ask a question about what it is that you are assuming. Because when you make assumptions in the sale, it will likely lead you down a really long and expensive path.

So, if the assumption is that you’re talking to the decision maker, don’t assume that because there’s rarely one decision maker. 

Figure out a way to ask a question that might sound something like, “So in addition to yourself who’s going to be a part of the Team that’s going to help make the decision to hire a firm like ours?” 

And if the client comes to you and says, “well we’ve written this brief ,or we have this scope of work outlined here’s what we need” don’t assume that what they think they need is what they in fact need. It’s your job to lean into that and to ask them that big picture Three Year Want Question to get past that need they came to you for and better understand what they really want. 

That question is: 

You and I are sitting here three years from today and you’re really happy. What’s happened in those three years to make you so happy?*

* Credit: Dan Sullivan, The Strategic Coach

So the lesson for today is don’t assume anything in the sale. If you feel yourself assuming that is a signal that you need to ask a question about something and get the real information or get clarification. Give yourself time also at the end of your sales calls to do a little honest debrief with yourself. How did it go? What did I assume that I might need to go back and ask because it’s not too late if you assume something and didn’t ask about it in the sales conversation. You can drop an email back to that prospect or client to be and just say, “hey it occurs to me that I might have made an assumption here that I shouldn’t have or I forgot to ask a really important question. Can we hop back on the phone for five minutes?” It’s perfectly okay to do that. 

Okay, that’s what I have for you today while it’s fresh on my mind.

Go to it out there. Good luck everybody cheers!

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