Part 15 of 20 in How to Sell: The Key to Success← Part 14Part 16 →
This chapter discusses how to handle a sales call that ends with a request to send details via WhatsApp. It offers strategies to turn a polite dismissal into a meaningful follow-up conversation.
- A polite request to 'WhatsApp it' is not a genuine next step.
- Replay the call using Bettger's rules to identify missed opportunities.
- Initiate a second conversation by addressing the buyer's specific problem.
- Identify the real issue behind objections like price or additional logins.
- Use customer insights to improve future sales interactions.
You have a twenty-minute call with the owner of a distribution business. He was polite. He said the problem is real. He said, send the details on WhatsApp, I will see. You have been here before. The details go. The blue ticks arrive. The decision does not.
Replay the call with Bettger’s rules and the miss is obvious. You presented. He did not summarise. You never asked why a pilot would be a bad idea. You accepted “WhatsApp it” as a next step. It is not a next step. It is a polite door.
The repair is a second conversation, shorter, and you do not open it with a PDF. You open it with his sentence. “You said the boy sits till eight matching bills. I want to check whether that is the thing worth fixing, or whether something else is in the way.” Then why. He may say price. You ask, in addition to price, what else. He may say his CA will not log in to one more site. That is the key issue. Price was the costume.
Now you earn the ask. You admit the limit: if the CA will not use it, the product fails, so the next step is twenty minutes with the CA, not a discount. You bring a witness: another distributor, named, whose CA exports the file and does not live in the tool. You let him say it back. Then you put him in action. “Can we do Thursday at five with him, or is this not a problem you want solved this quarter?” Silence. Thursday, or a real no. Both close the fog.
After the call, the learning goes into Customer Truth in his words. “The boy sits till eight.” That sentence is worth more than the feature list you were about to attach. If he pays, the receipt is the revenue. The sentence is how you delight the next ten.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'WhatsApp it' mean in a sales context?
In a sales context, 'WhatsApp it' is often a polite way for a buyer to delay or avoid making a decision.
How can I follow up after a 'WhatsApp it' request?
Initiate a second conversation by addressing the buyer's specific problem and asking clarifying questions to uncover the real issue.
Why is it important to identify the real issue in a sales call?
Identifying the real issue helps tailor the solution to the buyer's needs and increases the likelihood of closing the sale.
What should I do if the buyer mentions price as an objection?
Ask what other issues exist besides price to uncover the true barrier to the sale, such as usability concerns.