It is not uncommon in a sales meeting to hear someone describing an experience with a prospect where the buying indicators all looked perfect and the deal was lined up. The prospect is saying all the right things, but the deal just never seems to close. When this is happening, I always suspect that we might have a prospect who is just telling the sales person what they want to hear in order to further their own agenda.
In typical fashion, a sales person is contacted by an interested prospect. He is invited to present his company, products and (or) services to a group of evaluators. The presentation goes well and elicits an extremely positive reaction. Everyone just loved his presentation. Everything is looking good, your primary contact tells you it was the best presentation out of all the vendors and he is very impressed. The prospect further offers unsolicited information about their buying decision timeframe being in the next 30 days, they your company is in the pole position that he would like to see contracts as soon as you get back in the office. PERFECT, right? Well the answer is maybe so and maybe not. A question you should ask is: Is this adulation and exuberance warranted, appropriate? Basically, is this too good to be true? If it feels that way, it probably is.
If you are a sales professional, you are thinking right now about 10 deals where this type of behavior happens. Its maddening and even the most seasoned of use can get lured in by talk of big deals and dreams large commission checks. We are human. Buyers know it.
Ask for an NDA or something!Are you falling victim to this buyer strategy? Ask for something, anything. Then you wait to see if they are willing to do something for you. I like to use the NDA. It is a legal document and usually cannot be fudged or otherwise ignored. When you execute an NDA you have to do a bit of work to have it reviewed and executed. Just enough work to see if this person is willing to guide your document through the corporate quagmire and stop by a fax machine when it is executed. If the buyer goes silent or simply does not deliver, they are busted and were never serious.
It is tough to speculate on this type of behavior but I have a few theories: (1) they want to get something out of you (2) they are avoiding delivering any bad news, such as another vendor being selected, because it makes them uncomfortable or (3) are they are just an unsophisticated buyer.
Remember keep your eyes, ears and instincts open and aware out there!
