Question: When does “I’m going to think about it.” really mean “I’m going to dream about it?

Answer: Maybe every time.

Dream researchers have known for centuries (so why am I just learning about this now?) that dreaming helps with problem solving. During sleep our brains are making sense of the world, discovering new associations among existing memories, looking for patterns, formulating rules. During sleep, the brain is putting things together. All of this is happening whether we are aware of our dreams or not.

So what does that have to do with selling?

We know that some people, one estimate puts it at 2 in 5, are naturally inclined to “think things over” before making a major decision. This doesn’t include those who say that as an “excuse” but mean something else. These are the ones who really need time to process the information they have received. We can speculate that these people do this because it is an effective way for them to make choices. When they wake the next morning they feel better about their decision. Perhaps through dreaming they have put everything in order.

Pushing these people to make a decision would be ineffective and even irritating. The Old School pre-qualifier by the salesman who says, “Would you do me the favor of making a Yes or No decision tonight?” is shooting himself in the foot on his first step with these folks.

To increase the likelihood of your customers’ having a YES I’LL BUY IT dream, make sure that you are sincerely focused on helping them solve their problems. Remember that over 90% of all communication is nonverbal…they are consciously and unconsciously “hearing” where you are coming from. Blend that with professional selling techniques and tools and you will maximize your odds of making the sale when you follow up the next day.

This month’s System Selling Sales Bytes® includes a guest appearance by sales pro Patrick Carr who writes about the Three Golden Rules of selling. Check it out!


Good Selling!