This is always one of the hardest steps for me but it’s the most important to closing the sale. You ask for the business and then shut your mouth – literally. Close your mouth, look them in the eye, and wait. Do not be the first person to say something. Make them respond. You may get into a staring contest, but do not be the first person to speak. You’ve said everything you need to say until they specifically ask for clarification. You are creating the fish or cut bait moment. What do they want to do? Listen.
In most of my blog posts during this series, I have typically allowed the reader to see the alignment between my direct commentary and the obvious metaphors. This is not one of those blog entries. This is not a blog about actually fixing holes in gypboard walls; this is a series about helping people who genuinely need and want it. This is a series that is designed to help you as you figure out if the receiver’s “want-to” matches your “able-to” in the transaction.
I can teach anyone how to fix holes in walls, build cabinets, and other basic construction tasks. I can always teach the “how-to,” but I can’t teach the “want-to.” By shutting your mouth and waiting on them to respond, you are gauging the degree to which they actually want to make a change. You’ve outlined the costs and given a basic game-plan for how things will proceed once they commit, now it’s time to find out if they’re serious about it or if they’re simply “shopping around.”
The 100% hardest thing to do, even more than shutting your mouth and creating an awkward silence, is walking away when you realize they aren’t really serious about making the change. They might say they’re up for the challenge, but what they’re really saying is, "I want you to do it for free," – they don’t want to invest in the process themselves. The hardest thing to do is have a desire and a passion to help someone and walk away because you already know how it’s going to end if they aren’t willing to invest in themselves. It tears your heart in two, but if they aren't willing to invest, you are wasting your time. As soon as you’re gone, they’ll go right back to punching holes in the walls and then waiting for the next person wiling to come along and fix them for free.
On the flip side, the best thing is when you finally get that commitment from them to engage in the process and allow you to serve them. Which is when you move on to Step #6: Get To Work…