Do Business Well

Did I do something wrong here?

This is the biggie. Use it when you have put a lot of work into the proposal—and you feel as though the prospect has, too—but you’re suddenly running into a brick wall that has no name or description, and didn’t seem to exist yesterday.

Your goal is to find out what’s really happening, of course. Ultimately, you will recall our closing strategy is based on recommending what “makes sense” to the other person, and then asking directly whether or not it makes sense. Our classic formulation for this is, “It makes sense to me . . . what do you think?”

In this situation, you honestly thought you had something that made sense from the other person’s point of view, but you find out now that you don’t. What’s missing? What has really changed that the other person hasn’t told you about? This question is your best bet for filling these mysterious information gaps.

In practice, it can be brief, as above. My suggestion, though, is that you practice it and deliver a slightly more elaborate version, as I have outlined below, and tailor the longer version to the specific situations you face.

Mr. Prospect, I have to be honest with you. Something is wrong here. Usually, when I have gotten this far through the process of meeting with someone, people are very excited about what I have recommended, and they do, in fact, decide to work with us. Actually, I pride myself on not making a recommendation until I am really sure that the other person is more excited about it than I am. I know for a fact that we have got the best program for you, and that it will deliver the results that you and I spoke about. So, I have to assume that I have done something wrong in outlining this plan for you. So help me out. Did I do something wrong? If I did—what was it?

I think you will find it is worth the effort. If you ask this question honestly and without sarcasm, you will usually get the “straight dope” on what’s gone wrong, typically preceded by the words, “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. You see the thing is . . . ”

It is entirely possible that your sudden reversal of fortune within the sales process is the result of some higher individual within the target organization taking control of the process. If that is the case, you have a right to lay all your cards on the table and ask directly for an opportunity to make your case to that senior decision-maker.

Variants on the “Did I do something wrong?” approach can be employed at different points throughout the sales cycle. Just be sure not to overuse it, and not to employ the “full apology” I have outlined here more than once. For instance, a slightly less abject version of the apology and request for correction might come earlier in the process, and it might sound like this:

You know, usually, by this point in my meeting with somebody, I get a lot more interaction and a lot more excitement about what I am discussing. And I get the feeling I really have not done that with you today. Did I do something wrong?

Notice that what you are really asking for here is the opportunity to find out why the person is not excited about what you’re discussing. This is basically another attempt to “get righted.”

Did (name) do something wrong?

All too often, in sales, we do not get an outright rejection. It might be easier if we did, but what we are faced with is something nowhere near as clear-cut as that. Someone simply drops off the radar screen. We have one meeting, and it goes well. We have another meeting that also seems to go well. By the third meeting, perhaps, we are convinced that we are looking at something that really does make sense. And then . . . silence. Phone calls do not get returned, e-mails do not get answered, and attempts to set up another face-to-face meeting go nowhere.

This question, one of the most effective at resuscitating a deal that you will find, is the perfect appeal to a sense of fairness. However, it relies upon the role of another person, typically your colleague or superior, to deliver its (often spectacular) results.

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