Simply speaking by flushing out all of the nos makes getting the final yes a lot easier. Just think for a moment of nos, as some might say, as trial closes. These nos help you to overcome stalls and objections during the buying/selling process.

What separates truly successful sales people from the not so successful ones (beyond a proven sales process) is when to look for these nos.

Some sales experts or sales gurus might suggest that the Nos come after the fact finding when you are presenting your case to the client. This is not a bad place, but at this stage, it truly forces the sales person to work harder not smarter.

Consider for a moment to uncover the Nos during the fact finding stage if not earlier. As you ask your discovery questions, you begin to link the need to the what ifs of leadership, customers, financials and the ability to grow.

Fact finding is to widen the gap between what the client wants and what happens if the client does not find a solution. For example, the client wants to increase sales by 25%. You ask "What if this happens to your ability to grow?" After learning all of the positive impact for achieving this goal, you might then continue with this turn around question: What if you fail to increase sales by 25% specific to your ability to grow?

No questions are in many cases not "No" as a "No" in a reply, but rather obstacles that keep the client from saying Yes. Your ability to uncover all the Nos during fact finding will make presenting your case far easier. And ultimately, achieve your goal to increase sales.