Reading time: 3min
No-Oriented Questions
Most sales reps are looking for a “yes” when getting a “no” is way easier.
Looking for a “no” is much more effective than looking for a “yes.“
3 types of “yes”
There are three types of “yes”:
- The “yes” of commitment.
- The confirmation “yes.”
- The counterfeit “yes.”
Most of the time, people try to get us to say yes by asking for counterfeit yeses.
We give them counterfeit yeses daily to get them to leave us alone.
It’s the famous “yeah, yeah” teenagers say when they say, “Yeah, yeah... I’ll do it.”
All these dynamics teach our subconscious that “yes” always comes with a catch.
When we try to obtain a confirmatory yes, we awaken the little voice in people’s heads. That little voice that tells us to be wary and that looks for fallback options.
Asking for a “YES” example:
If I ask someone on the phone:
Do you have a few minutes to chat?
The little voice in their head pops in and says:
- If I have a few minutes, do I want to talk with you?
- Do I want to talk about what you want to talk about?
- How long is a few minutes?
- How do I get rid of this person on the phone?
The problem with all these questions is that your lead isn’t listening to you... they’re listening to the little voice in their head.
Only one type of “no”
With “no”, it’s very simple.
We say no.
That’s all there is to it.
No hidden message, no false pretenses.
The secret lies in the way you turn the question around.
Instead of squeezing a “yes” out of a lead’s mouth, we’ll get them to answer “no” to the right question.
You’ll be surprised how many things people are willing to say no to.
Crazy as it may sound when you’re looking for “no,” the exact opposite happens when you’re looking for “yes.“
People feel protected and safe. Their brains open up.
Here are a few examples:
| Before ⇒ We're looking for a “yes”. | After ⇒ We look for a “no”. |
|---|---|
| Do you have a few minutes to chat? | Is this a bad time to talk? |
| I have a [ lead magnet ] for you about XXX. Would you like me to send it to you? | I have a [ lead magnet ] for you about XXX. Would you be against the idea of me sending it to you? |
| Would you be interested in making an appointment to discuss our offer? | Does it seem ridiculous to schedule a meeting to discuss our offer? |
| Are you still thinking of doing XXX? | Have you given up on the idea of doing XXX? |
In the examples on the left, we’re looking for a “yes.” We create anxiety with every question, whereas in the examples on the right, we don’t alert our lead’s subconscious at all. We can have a genuinely relaxed conversation with 100% of their conscious brain.
Protip
Successions of “no’s” can be very powerful.
Everything is clear if the lead answers “yes” to one of our questions.
They’re not hiding. They’re in full possession of their decision-making power.
They consciously decide not to go our way.
Conversely, if they say “no” all along, we can go ahead with our script and make our request. Getting to the closing phase has never been easier.