Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success

In general sales parlance, we refer to this strategy as a step-down sale, and it can be a powerful closing tool for products where you can easily ratchet up or ratchet down the amount of the purchase. For example, in Bill’s case, when you ask him for the order for the second time, you would step him down from ten thousand shares to five thousand shares, which reduces the energy-in aspect of the closing equation by 50 percent, after you just increased the benefits-out side of the equation during your follow-up presentation. This creates an extremely powerful one-two punch that will significantly increase your closing rate. And, of course, on your third closing attempt, you would step down to a thousand shares . . . and then down to five hundred shares on your fourth attempt, going all the way down to whatever the firm’s minimum is for opening up a new account.

Now, remember, on your initial closing attempt, you fully expect to be hit with one of the common objections, so your inner monologue should be saying, “Ahhh, just as expected! A smoke screen for uncertainty! It’s time to roll up my sleeves and earn my paycheck!” In terms of which objection your prospect chooses, it doesn’t even matter, because you’re going to respond to all the common objections in exactly the same way.

For example, let’s say Bill replies, “It sounds interesting. Let me think about it.”

To that, you’ll answer with the standard Straight Line response to an initial objection, which is: “I hear what you’re saying, Bill, but let me ask you a question: Does the idea make sense to you? Do you like the idea?”

Similarly, if Bill had said, “I need to speak to my accountant,” then you would’ve said, “I hear what you’re saying, Bill, but let me ask you a question: Does the idea make sense to you? Do you like the idea?”

And, once again, if he had said, “It’s a bad time of year,” then you would’ve said, “I hear what you’re saying, Bill, but let me just ask you a question: Does the idea make sense to you? Do you like the idea?”

In other words, no matter which of the twelve to fourteen common objections your prospect initially hits you with, you are always going to answer in exactly the same way.

You’re going to say:

“I hear what you’re saying, Bill, but let me ask you a question: Does the idea make sense to you? Do youlikethe idea?”

Now, notice how, rather than directly answering his objection, you deflected it instead.

Specifically, you acknowledged the fact that you heard what Bill said to you—to ensure that he didn’t feel ignored, which would cause a break in rapport—and then you shifted the conversation in a more productive direction, which was to find out where he stood on the certainty scale for the first of the Three Tens, which is your product.

In Straight Line parlance, we refer to this process as deflection, and it comprises step number six of the Straight Line Syntax. In essence, when you deflect a prospect’s initial objection, you’re avoiding answering it head-on by using a two-step process:

Step one consists of a simple, five-word language pattern—I hear what you’re saying—which you’ve infused with the reasonable man tonality.^II

Your words let the prospect know that you’ve heard his objection (and, hence, you’re not ignoring him), and your tonality lets the prospect know that you fully respect his right to feel that way, which ensures that you remain in very tight rapport.

Step two consists of another simple language pattern—Let me ask you a question: Does the idea makes sense to you? Do you like the idea?—which you’ve infused with the money-aside tonality.

So, again, your words are redirecting the conversation to a far more productive track, which, in this particular case, is to ascertain Bill’s current level of certainty about Microsoft being a good buy right now; and your tonality ensures that he doesn’t feel pressured by your question—that if he admits that he likes your product, you’re not going to use his admission against him to pressure him to buy. After all, if he feels that way, then he’ll significantly tone down his level of enthusiasm as he responds, which is the last thing you want your prospect to be doing at this point.

Why?

Well, quite simply, while a basic yes is enough to move forward during the front half of the sale, you need an enthusiastic yes to move forward during the back half of the sale.

The reason for this is that the level of enthusiasm of your prospect’s yes is going to serve as your primary means for measuring his level of certainty for each of the Three Tens.