Moments of truth (MOT) in a sales context are those instants in a presentation, negotiation, telemarketing call, prospect meeting or needs analysis where you can see the deal swing to you or away from you. They are the moments when something is said or done that takes the prospect’s desire to buy a new level; up or down.

The best salespeople spot these moments and adapt. Poor salespeople blithely chunter on without realising that the right statement or question can move the whole process one step nearer to the close. We have all encountered the latter – most recently I had an domestic energy rep come to the door and I told them I was busy upstairs and thought they were someone I was expecting. Nonetheless they insisted “but this won’t take a moment and you could save…”. A better line might have been “when is a better time?” but that was not in the script.

Often these MOTs can be very subtle and it is inexperience that prevents you from noticing them. It could be something as small as a noticeable hesitation by the prospect, often when we mention the price! In a face-to-face meeting, it could be a frown when you talk about delivery times. Or it could be one raised eyebrow when you mention one of your existing large clients.

The thing with MOTs is that even the most experienced salesperson cannot be certain of its significance. And that is why they stop. They stop talking. They pause. They ask a question. They make an observation about the prospect’s reaction and they become the detective: “Mr Smith, I can’t help noticing your reaction to our lead times – how does that compare to your expectation?”.

Other MOTs are blindingly obvious. The prospect might ask; “So how much would 500 of those be if we wanted them next month?”. Alternatively; “How many times do I have to tell you people, we don’t need any widgets?”.

When we focus our attentions more on the prospects and less on our product or presentation, we allow ourselves to intuitively raise our awareness of these MOTs. Don’t be worried if you get it wrong: better that you misinterpret a comment or hesitation by the prospect than you miss a big clue that could help you win the business.