I Said the EXACT Same Thing

Have you ever been working with a customer, trying to close the deal, said all the right things and the customer still wouldn’t close? Of course you have, we all have. Then your manager comes in to talk to the customer, says the exact same things that you just said, and closes the deal. You actually say to yourself, “I said that exact same thing.” Has this happened to you? If you are anything like me, that has happened to you and, oh boy, isn’t that frustrating, right? You said the exact same thing that your manager just said, and your customer told you “no,” yet when your manager says it, they say “yes.”

So, why is does this happen?

This happens because of third-party validation.

Third-party validation is:

• Use of an Authoritative Party to validate ones claims

In the example above, your manager is viewed as an “Authoritative” figure and when they say the exact same things that you have said they are actually validating EXACTLY what you said. Had you not said the things that you did, then there would not have been anything for the manager to validate, and their words would have closed the deal.

Other Forms and Uses of Third-Party Validation

The most effective form of third-party validation is “independent” third-party validation. This is information from an independent source, one that gains nothing from validating the information. This information is typically something that the customer can read that will support claims that you have made to the customer.

Evidence Manual

An Evidence Manual is the best way to prepare this third-party validating information. An Evidence Manual is a book, binder, or even a tablet that contains this information. This evidence manual should include copies of customer testimonials, online reviews, and supporting product articles easily accessible, including copies to give to the customer. For more information about Evidence Manual and how to start your own, be sure to check out our video Evidence Manual inside of the Selling Skills – The Foundation course.

Close Library – Third-Party Method

Once you have this Evidence Manual the information can be used to overcome objections and close deals. In fact, this is such an important part of closing that we have an entire section of our Close Library dedicated to the Third-Party Method. This Third-Party method is when you use a neutral source to help sell your product and overcome the customers concern. The third-party source could be a person, website, or publication.

Third-party sources can include:

• Previously Satisfied Customers
• Specialists outside of your company such as JD Power
• Trusted websites and publications such as Carfax, Kelly Blue Book
• Online Review Websites such as Yelp and Google +

The use of third-party sources and information to help you overcome a customer’s concern requires you to be prepared with this information. If you plan to use previously satisfied customers, you will need to ask them for permission to contact them or have others contact them.

Example:

Customer: “I have never done business with your company before.”

Salesperson: “I can completely understand your concerns Mrs. Jones. Our dealership is one of the highest rated Yelp dealers in the area with a 4-star rating. Additionally, here are some customer testimonials about me personally. This should help make you comfortable doing business with our dealership and myself.”

This is only one example of how you can use third-party validation to close your deal, however if you date have the validation information when you need it, you won’t be able to use it. Start gathering this information today and start closing more deals!