The alert, resourceful salesman has learned that a prospect’s No is a normal obstacle. He has learned to look behind every No and knock the props away from the big no the true objection that is blocking the close. Just remember that resistance is a natural thing. The prospect tries to get as much as possible for his money. To that end, he assembles reasons to justify his decision to spend his money.

Sometimes some competitor will have made a special concession, which the prospect keeps thinking of and which has little or no relation to the main sale. In one of the suburban developments, a competing realtor offered to throw in five fruit trees to anyone who bought one of his lots.

PROSPECT: I like the location and the view, Mr. Harris. But Marvin gives five fruit trees to anyone who buys in his real estate development.

SALESMAN: That you like the location and the view is, after all, the main consideration, isn’t it, Mr. Young? But I’ll make you a proposition. If you will take this twelve hundred and fifty dollar lot now, I’ll not only provide five two-year-old fruit trees from the Henderson catalog, or any you select, but I will add five two year old Norway maples for the street side of your lot. Isn’t that a good offer?

While, in some forms of selling, you are not permitted to make any concessions on price or to present special offers, minor allowances often provide a satisfactory way to meet an objection which the prospect has built into the major consideration.

When you cannot make a concession, you can often give an equivalent favor which, although small, looms large against a competitor’s special favor. Some people have the bargain complex; want and i can get it for you wholesale offer. At times you can close a deal with such a bargain hunter by making a minor concession which repays you many times for catering to him.

Determine your company policy on such concessions, however, before you attempt to apply them.