We’ve all been there – you’ve spoken to someone, they sound really interested in what you’re offering, you show them some information, maybe they even come to a meeting. It’s all looking good, then they come out with this:
I don’t have the money (right now)
This probably means:
- I’m not interested
- I don’t think I can do it, or
- I don’t really believe it
This is really frustrating, you know they’d be really good and they need this business, because you’ve spent some time listening to them and finding out about then (you have done this, haven’t you?). So is there anything you can say or do before you wave them goodbye?
What to do?
Don’t rush in and try to convince them, you will definitely lose them if you look desperate. But you can say a couple of things which may help them to stop and think:
- How would you feel if you made that money back in the first month? (Don’t make promises!)
- Oh, I see, do you have a different plan for leaving your job/paying off your debts/saving your deposit – that’s great.
Of course, they may not have the money, or think they don’t have it. Your job is not to get them into debt, but to see how committed they are. The only real way to know is to ask – ‘Is it that you genuinely don’t have the money? Or are you just trying to spare my feelings? Please be honest’ If so, you can both feel satisfied with the outcome. And if they are still interested, you have an opportunity to discuss some possible arrangements.
Just think about this – if you offered people the chance to go on a luxury cruise for a month, all expenses paid, and they just had to pay their air fare to Spain (or somewhere near), how many do you think could come up with the air fare so that they could take that fabulous free cruise? Quite a few, I bet.
So your job is to make sure that people have had all the information they need to make the right decision for them. And that they go on their way happy about it whatever they decide.
