8 Signs Your Prospect Isn’t Going to Buy

By Niall

Good qualification is keep to understanding early the signs your prospect isn’t going to buy. We only have a finite amount of time to sell, so when we are selling we need to ensure that the prospects we are engaged with are likely to purchase from us, rather than our competitors.

Salespeople might appear to have unlimited patience, but they don’t have unlimited time. Knowing when to abandon a deal or disqualify a prospect and move on is an incredibly important sales skill.

But it can be hard to tell the difference between a prospect who isn’t going to buy now vs. one who isn’t going to buy ever. Spending additional time on the first buyer would be in both parties’ best interest, while spending more time on the second is a time suck for seller and buyer.

Research indicates that there are eight classic behavioral clues demonstrated by buyers who just aren’t going to buy.

8 Signs Your Prospect Isn’t Going to Buy

1) They demand to talk about price right away.

“Prospects who ask about price early have already made up their mind to buy from someone else,” Talking price mostly denotes that the buyer has decided on their provider but is simply doing due diligence.

2) They insist you work around their schedule.

If a prospect is only willing to give you a very specific and brief window of their time, “you are most likely being used at the last minute to justify a purchase decision for another product.

3) They won’t give you their budget.

Prospects who refuse to talk about their budget are “either playing games, are not serious prospects, or do not have the power to buy.” None of these scenarios result in a sale.

4) They won’t introduce you to any additional stakeholders.

If the buyer will not facilitate setting up introductions with other stakeholders this is a sign that the buyer doesn’t trust you, and therefore, won’t buy from you.

5) They already work with a supplier that can provide the same thing as you.

If the buyer already works with a vendor that sells what you sell … why do they want a proposal from you? Probably so they can force their supplier’s hand on price. Beware.

6) They totally fall off the map.

Once you’ve established a relationship with a buyer, they will keep it going — if they’re serious. Prospects who talk for a while but then go silent probably aren’t going to suddenly resurface. Whether they have decided to abandon the project or go with another supplier is irrelevant; what’s important to remember is “absence doesn’t make the buyer grow fonder.”

7) They can’t answer these three questions.

If these questions are met with an “I don’t know,” it’s recommended to disqualify the prospect.

What does success look like with this project?
Who else will be involved in this decision?
When do you need to have this project done by?

8) They put you off again and again … and again.

“‘Call me back later’ is really a camouflaged no,” Francis writes. Prospects who keep putting meetings or calls to later and later dates are probably just hoping you’ll get the hint. Take it and move on.

CRM systems give you the management and control over your sales team, their activities and their prospects. There may be other signs your prospect Isn’t going to buy, depending on your industry. Any thought, please let us know.

How ProAptivity can help

ProAptivity are an independent CRM solutions provider. We focus on the implementation, training, and support of highly customised CRM software solutions. Our CRM software supported by our sales training provide customers with the tools needed to deliver successful sales process management. This includes the ability to recognise the signs your prospect Isn’t going to buy

Fundamentally, we help organisations embed CRM best practice throughout their organisation. This helps organisations become more competitive, customer focused and ultimately more profitable.

If you need help in understanding why my business needs CRM, maybe some of our eBooks could help! Alternatively visit Maximizer CRM for more information. Contact us today in Belfast on 028 9099 6388 or at our Bedford office on 01234 214004. Alternatively email us on info@proaptivity.com. Contact us today for a free CRM consultation that will assess if your business is CRM ready.