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Quick Ideas 119 to 121

or (3) We assumed we had the answer, and went ahead with-
out confirming the information. Herb had a bright yellow form
that he insisted everyone use. It said Avoid Verbal Orders in
big, bold letters across the top, and it said Put It In Writing
along the bottom. What are you doing to make sure you com-
municate effectively within your organization and with your
prospects?

Epilogue
Remember that the message is always in the mind of the
receiver, and by putting it in writing, you vastly increase the
likelihood the message will be communicated correctly.

121

No Is Not the Answer

Fear is the greatest single challenge that you must over-
come if you’re going to be successful at turning prospects into
customers. When many salespeople hear the word “no,” they
give up or give in. But if you are going to succeed in prospect-
ing for customers, you can’t quit when you hear the word no.
You’ve got to step back, look at the situation, and try to find a
new approach to get your prospects to say “yes.”

Ron was a bright, young salesperson for a company in Chi-
cago. He was organized, well-groomed, and articulate, and kept
great records about his sales prospecting. The only problem
was that he wasn’t getting new business, and no one in his
company could figure out why. Finally they hired a sales con-
sultant who traveled with Ron and critiqued his selling style.
What they found is that when a customer said no, Ron quit and

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