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The rule of 3 No's

by Zodiax
9 replies
Has anyone found the rule of having to overturn an objection three times to be true?
#rule
  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

    Has anyone found the rule of having to overturn an objection three times to be true?
    Do you mean you have to answer the objection three times before it "takes"?

    I'm not sure what you mean. But whatever you mean, the answer is no. There is no "Rule of three" for anything in life, unless you just like to stop counting at three.
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    • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Do you mean you have to answer the objection three times before it "takes"?
      Yes.

      I have seen it a lot in the sales books I have been reading.

      Where did that number come from.
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      • Profile picture of the author helisell
        Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

        Yes.

        I have seen it a lot in the sales books I have been reading.

        Where did that number come from.
        When they were first making numbers they'd decided on 1 and 2.....someone suggested 4
        but it seemed like there may have been one missing. After a short while and a bit of a think....they decided to put 3 in between 2 and 4 and the problem was solved.

        It must have been a popular decision 'cos here we are all these years later still using the same ones. Whoda thunk
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      • Profile picture of the author ThePromotionalGuy
        Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

        Yes.

        I have seen it a lot in the sales books I have been reading.

        Where did that number come from.
        "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...."

        Episode III

        RETURN OF THE NUMBERS

        Zodiax has returned to the
        Warrior forum in an attempt to

        Ask the group where the
        number 3 came from.

        Little does Zodiax know that the forum
        moderators have secretly hidden

        the answer and constructed a new
        armored WSO even more powerful

        than the dreaded Death Star.
        When completed, this Ultimate WSO

        will spell certain joy for the small
        band of numbers struggling to restore

        counting to the galaxy...
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

        Yes.

        I have seen it a lot in the sales books I have been reading.

        Where did that number come from.
        It may have been written in a book decades ago, sales writers picked it up, repeated it...and now it sounds like gospel. It's like the "It take 5 closes before they buy" rule.

        I've read several hundred sales books in the last decade alone...I've never heard of it.


        You answer objections until they either buy, or they give a firm "No".


        As a gift, did you know that everything happens in threes? And do you know why? Because the people who believe it, start the count over after they get to three.

        Now you know the secret.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Nguyen
    Simple way to view it:

    If you're prospecting and you're getting objections right from the start 3-4 is probably enough to know if there is a potential deal.

    When you're closing and ALL the criteria's are satisfied, then more like 5-10 time, whatever that number is.

    I once closed a phone prospect which lasted between 5-10 minutes. I asked way more than 3 times, more like 10+ I think.

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    • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
      Originally Posted by Michael Nguyen View Post

      Simple way to view it:

      If you're prospecting and you're getting objections right from the start 3-4 is probably enough to know if there is a potential deal.

      When you're closing and ALL the criteria's are satisfied, then more like 5-10 time, whatever that number is.

      I once closed a phone prospect which lasted between 5-10 minutes. I asked way more than 3 times, more like 10+ I think.

      Your numbers are your number
      You closed him after all the criteria were satisfied?

      How were you effectively able to deduce that his objections were smokescreen. Although I am inexperienced- I wouldn't try closing 10 times unless I was confident I wouldn't destroy the relationship or cause an argument.

      Was it gentle? Or Assertive?

      Was the close subtle or overt?

      I am interested in this.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

        You closed him after all the criteria were satisfied?

        How were you effectively able to deduce that his objections were smokescreen. Although I am inexperienced- I wouldn't try closing 10 times unless I was confident I wouldn't destroy the relationship or cause an argument.
        The most profitable way to handle it, is to answer objections in a friendly way, until they either buy, or you can tell they are pulling away from you. For example, they repeat an objection you just answered, or the sound less friendly.

        Everything they hear either brings them closer to buying, or sends them away from buying. When you learn to tell the difference, from their reactions, you will know how much to keep going.

        Originally Posted by eccj View Post

        I think the "don't give up until you get three no's" comes from call center, hire'em in masses, type environments. They don't want their inexperienced sales people who are being paid nothing to hear an objection and say "okay thanks have a good day."

        Sometimes people will say "no" and then give an objection. "No. I can't afford that." The inexperienced sales person would just say "oh darn. Maybe one day" instead of saying "well we have very affordable payment plans."

        It's not an advance sales thing but when the environment is a big sales team and there is 100% turnover every six months, sometime simple rules are a necessary evil.
        Exceptionally valuable post. Yes, if they are newer, these simple rules will maximize sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    I think the "don't give up until you get three no's" comes from call center, hire'em in masses, type environments. They don't want their inexperienced sales people who are being paid nothing to hear an objection and say "okay thanks have a good day."

    Sometimes people will say "no" and then give an objection. "No. I can't afford that." The inexperienced sales person would just say "oh darn. Maybe one day" instead of saying "well we have very affordable payment plans."

    It's not an advance sales thing but when the environment is a big sales team and there is 100% turnover every six months, sometime simple rules are a necessary evil.

    Ideally you would be in a position where you were asking questions up front so you knew ahead of times what the hangup was going to be but that is not how all sales and sales environments work.

    If you have listened to any of Chet Holmes' stuff he talked about how he could get an appointment with anyone. He would call up Fortune 500 CEO's cold and get appointments. In that kind of a scenario you don't just give a benefit statement and get an appointment you have to be ready to answer objections and a lot of them at that. He had a story where he got an appointment with the old CEO of Men's Warehouse and he had to answer 10+ objections. It's pretty fascinating stuff really.
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