Risk & Business Magazine Cooke Insurance Group Spring 2016 | Page 15

closer inspection, reveal no actual commitment. They contain indecisive, play-it-safe words or phrases that allow prospects (and customers alike) to avoid making commitments. Examples of “play-it-safe” language from prospects could include: • I’m inclined to place the order this week. • I believe that there’s a good chance that we will award the project to your firm. • Things look pretty good. It’s likely you’ve heard your share of statements like this from prospects. Perhaps you even considered them “buying signals.” But how much certainty can you really attribute to words like inclined, good chance, and pretty good? A simple reverse – meaning you ask a question that puts the ball back in the prospect’s court in a tactful way – can help you uncover the real meaning of these statements. For example: Prospect: I’m inclined to place the order this quarter. Salesperson: Certainly, that would be appreciated. Let me ask you something. When you say “inclined,” what does that mean? Prospect: I believe that there’s a good chance that we will award the project