Objections, and How to Handle Them

Transcription

1 Objections, and How to Handle Them A Guide for B2B Service Company Owners, Directors, and Partners By Simon Atkins - Director The Small Business Hub Ltd London W14 0DP United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)

2 Legal All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without permission of the author. Designations are Trademarks Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names referred to herein are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Simon Atkins and The Small Business Hub Ltd are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned herein. Fictitious for Examples Any example companies, organisations, products, domain names, addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious and used to bring clarity to the narrative. No association with any real company, organisation, product, domain name, address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred Not Liable for Any Loss The information contained herein is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties. Neither Simon Atkins nor The Small Business Hub Ltd, shall be held liable for any loss or damages caused or allegedly caused, either directly or indirectly by use or application of any of the material in this publication. Professional Advice This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided on the understanding that neither Simon Atkins nor The Small Business Hub Ltd is engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Phraseology The use of male and female pronouns herein is to facilitate writing efficiency and ease of reading. No gender bias, politics, stereotyping, or other causes may be inferred or implied. 2 of 23

3 Table of Contents Legal... 2 All Rights Reserved... 2 Designations are Trademarks... 2 Fictitious for Examples... 2 Not Liable for Any Loss... 2 Professional Advice... 2 Phraseology... 2 Introduction... 5 Answering Objections is a Six-Step Process... 7 Objections... 7 The Objections List I already have that/i ve just signed with (your competitor) heard from a lost client I already have that/i ve just signed with (your competitor) heard from a prospective client Ambush Price Objections Do You Have a Website? How much is it? - asked before a solution has been discussed or offered How much is it asked when the solution but not the price has been discussed or offered I haven t read it yet I once had a bad experience with your company if the cause has gone I once had a bad experience with your company if the cause hasn t gone a. If the client suggests changes b. If the client doesn t or won t suggest changes I/We/They don't take cold calls If you give us a lower price, you can have the next contract I'm not interested I'm too busy Just give me the 30 second version of your presentation No Names Policy No thanks, I'm happy with what I have stated before a solution has been offered Ring me later/another time of 23

4 18. Send me information and I'll pass it on. If they're interested I/they will call you back Send me something/an /can I have a brochure - If the prospect has taken care when answering questions Send me something/an /can I have a brochure - If they aren't busy Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked at the end of a presentation which has gone well Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked before their needs have been established Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked over the phone Tell me what it's about and I'll let you know who s the best person to speak to That's interesting, but we've got a lot of things on at the moment, and it s not a priority We can get it cheaper elsewhere We don't have the money or budget to buy anything right now We don't want to pay that amount We want a deal We're not in the market right now We've solved that problem/automated our business/it s not an issue for us What makes your company so good Why should I switch to you Objections when normally you get a positive response You're too expensive Summary of 23

5 Introduction Client objections are in the majority of cases, a request for more information and as such, should be seen as proof that the client is engaged, paying attention, and thinking seriously thinking about you, and your service. Dealing with them is a judgement call, and great salespeople learn to distinguish quickly between those prospective clients looking for more information via objections and are therefore in the market for their services, from those, who aren t. You're dealing with human beings so they range from thick to smart and from aggressive, to an absolute charmer, so you have to handle each person and his objections on its merits. A lot will ride on your empathy, understanding, and reading of the situation in which you find yourself. Learn these objections and answers below, adapt them to your way of speaking, and then practice them until you can come back with the right answer to any of these objections, instantly, without thinking about it. Keep a record of every objection you hear that you can t answer, and keep puzzling it over until you can come up with a slick answer. The client s unspoken feelings, and unique perspective at the time of the objection are equally as important as the words they use and should be taken into account. The rise of attraction, and social media marketing over cold calling, won't put an end to objections; as long as there're intelligent human beings, there will always be objections because they ll always want more information. You may have noticed that clients pretty much say the same things and come up with the same objections time and again. This gives you the chance to perfect your answers, over time. Tackle objections either by eliminating their cause such as changing what you say and do or perhaps re-writing printed or online marketing and sales material, or by learning the best way of handling each objection as they are listed below. At times the client may be unable or unwilling to express his real objection, out of politeness, convention, background circumstances, office politics, or a lack of knowledge on a subject. This requires that you never take anything at face value and always seek greater understanding of your clients. If you do this, over time, you ll be able to read them sufficiently well, to ask better questions and get at what s really bothering them. Any un-addressed objections will scupper any chances of a sale, so if you do your selling face-to-face it s prudent to have with you at all times a pad and pen with which you can draw them out. When you ask clients if they have any queries or questions that need answering, in full view of the client, number down the page from one to ten or more, making sure you have more numbers than you think the client has objections. Only then, ask him for his objections. Seeing a numbered list the client, will try and fill it and if there are more numbers than objections he ll rack his brain to do so, and you ll bring out all his hidden objections. If you re selling on the phone, tell the client what you re doing and give them a running commentary. During your conversations with your clients, you may notice that at times a client doesn t finish a sentence, either by changing the subject or by pretending to be 5 of 23

6 distracted by something else. You should never let this go. Wait a couple of minutes and come back to it. Often this is because he was about to say something he didn t, or wasn t sure, he wanted you to hear. It s likely that by casually asking about it, he will tell you. Many times, it will be a serious objection, or obstacle to the sale that gave him an advantage or control over the sale and you. By asking him, he may feel the game is up and there s no point in hiding anything else, and tell you. At times, you may come across a situation where the client for some reason is unhappy and it s important that you lance this boil before going any further. Whatever it is, you must get to the bottom of what s causing his unhappiness and cure it before anything else. I urge you to memorise and practice answering these objections because you ll make your life a lot easier. Lastly I d like to wish you every success in handling the objections to come. 6 of 23

7 Answering Objections is a Six-Step Process The ideal way of answering objections is to follow the procedure below, which gives you the best chance of getting to the heart of the problem bothering your client and at the same time keep communication open and the client talking. 1) Acknowledge the objection by showing empathy and understanding of the client's situation. 2) Clarify what is really the objection by asking questions. Treat objections as if they are apples and what you need to get at, is the core; everything else is a distraction, so try and eliminate it. (Never assume you ve understood what the client meant. Always ask it back to the client in a different way to get confirmation). 3) Confirm your understanding of the objection, before attempting to answer it. 4) Answer the objection, from the viewpoint of the client, i.e. It means you can service 30% more widgets per hour. 5) Ask the client if you ve clarified and answered his query to his satisfaction. (This is to draw out any hidden or lingering objections he may still have. 6) Answer with either: a) If it satisfies the client Is there anything else you d like to know regarding anything we ve already discussed or that s come to mind? If not, ask if it s OK to continue. b) If it doesn t satisfy the client Find out what the problem is and go through the procedure again until all objections have been answered to the satisfaction of your client. Only then should you move on. Objections Following are common objections it s likely you ll come across when talking to clients. It would be best for you to learn and practice them, until they become second nature. They are presented in the following format: The objection as you re likely to hear to hear it the qualification of the objection What you should say to answer the objection Background or guidance information 7 of 23

8 The Objections List 1. I already have that/i ve just signed with (your competitor) heard from a lost client I'm sorry to see you go. Is there something we could have done better? If he says there is, make a list. Then ask: 'If we make those changes, in the future will you consider us once more, to provide you with (insert your service)? Make a list of the suggested changes. That list is a wish list, which should you, choose to make those changes, removes most if not all objections they would have to an updated or revised service. Those changes could possibly prevent future client losses by keeping your service fresh and adaptable. Consider all your options and what you consider to be the best course of action before answering or committing to any changes. Then ask: Can we keep in touch? Agree methods and frequency and make a note of time and date this agreement was made, in case they aren't being straight with you. Do this even if you think everything is fine. Contact him when/if you've made those changes. Regularly once a month send a newsletter detailing case histories of clients who've benefited from those changes. Letting this client go for now takes the pressure off and opens the door for the future. If he says there isn't something you could have done better. If you were us, what would you have done differently? Make a list If we make those changes, in the future will you consider us once more to provide you with (insert your service)?' As above, it s his wish list with all the attendant advantages. Then 8 of 23

9 After we've made those changes, can we keep in touch? As above agree methods and frequency and make a note of time and date this agreement was made, in case they aren't being straight with you. Do this even if you think everything is fine. Contact him when/if you've made those changes. Regularly once a month send a newsletter detailing case histories of clients who've benefited from those changes. Don't say something along the lines of: Some of my clients left, we kept in touch and they came back. Remember these clients have just made an important decision, it's unfortunate you weren't the beneficiary, so don t intimate they made the wrong one, or exert pressure for them to sign with you at a later date. Keep everything light. Keep in touch. 2. I already have that/i ve just signed with (your competitor) heard from a prospective client I'm sorry to hear that, I would've liked to work with you, and can we keep in touch? If he says Yes, agree methods and frequency and make a note of time and date this agreement was made, in case they aren't being straight with you. Do this even if you think everything is fine. Don't say something along the lines of: Some of my clients originally signed with a competitor, we kept in touch, and they came to us in the end. These clients have just made an important decision, it's unfortunate you weren't the beneficiary, so don t intimate they made the wrong decision, or exert pressure for them to sign with you at a later date. Keep everything light. Keep in touch. 3. Ambush Price Objections These are usually made in a complex sale after the deal has been agreed in principle or verbally, but just before the deal is signed. This is usually done by the person in the buyer role of Negotiator, whose function is to get greater concessions for the same price or to knock the price down. The only defence is to be prepared ahead of time with a list of items that you want in exchange, should this situation arise. This list must be absolutely specific and creative, such as access to your client's client base, a joint marketing campaign, or discount for using their services, for instance if they were a printer and you a website designer. 9 of 23

10 4. Do You Have a Website? Yes we do, what information are you looking for? Make a list. Turn this around to get a meeting with the decision maker by telling him you need more information from him, to be able to provide everything he wants. This of course can be a fob off by him, so play it by ear. 5. How much is it? - asked before a solution has been discussed or offered Answer : Which service (or package) do you want? Now list all the benefits of your service. It s very likely he ll stop you and you can get back to your presentation. If he doesn t, continue to the end and only then give the price. This is often an attempt to get rid of you by getting you to quote a price, of which their follow-up will be either Too expensive! or Not interested or We re looking for something more up-market (or more sophisticated). 6. How much is it asked when the solution but not the price has been discussed or offered Can I just confirm what it is you need, to make sure I only quote for the things you actually want Go through and list everything he wants, get confirmation, that the list is complete and then and only then, quote the price. 7. I haven t read it yet You've already sent something and now the person says they haven't got around to reading it yet How important is it for you to find a solution to (insert their problem) If it is important. 10 of 23

11 By when would you like it solved? Get them to confirm a specific time and/or date, such as first thing on Monday morning. Does that take account of the implementation time? Whether it does or not, try and agree a timetable based on that answer and you telling him how long implementation will take. Then summarise and ask: As I understand it, this is important to you, and if you want to get it solved by (insert the agreed date) then as we ve just seen, work to put a solution in place needs to start by (insert the date calculated from the timetable) Can you think of any reasons why we shouldn t start then? This is where you get out your pad and list one to ten or more, those reasons why he thinks you shouldn t start on that date. Now get him to confirm these are the only reasons and there are definitely no more. This is a crucial stage. He must verbally confirm this. Only when he s done so do you move on, NOT before. If we can solve these problems listed here, to your satisfaction, can we start on that date Whatever happens you don t speak again until he has. This is what s known as the Silent Close. The only thing you re allowed to do is breathe, smile, and sit still. The next person to talk loses. If it takes ten minutes of difficult silence, you will endure it, if you want the sale. If you re dealing with a professional buyer, he will know perfectly well what s going on and what s at stake. He will smile at you and get you to think everything is fine, so that you ll talk first. The longest I ve done this is six minutes and twenty seconds, and yes, he spoke first. He was a professional buyer, we both got a great deal, and we shared a sense of humour. 8. I once had a bad experience with your company if the cause has gone I m sorry to hear that, please tell me what happened. 11 of 23

12 They explain. You ask probing but not judgmental questions to fully understand everything about the event. You follow the six-step process above on page 6. When you are certain you ve a proper understanding of what happened: I'm sorry this happened to you, when we learned of this problem, we made these changes Go through the changes (list no more than is needed for the client to agree it s unlikely to happen again), for each change: Do you think we went far enough? If they say no What do you think we could do to make it right? Then listen and take notes. If they say yes Will you consider us seriously again to supply you with (insert your service)? Then ask: 'If we make these changes, would that be sufficient? If they say yes 'After we've made those changes, would you consider us seriously again to supply you with (insert your service). 9. I once had a bad experience with your company if the cause hasn t gone I m sorry to hear that, please tell me what happened. They explain. You ask probing but not judgmental questions to fully understand everything about the event. You follow the six-step process above on page 6. When you are certain you ve a proper understanding of what happened continue with either 9a or 9b, whichever is appropriate: 9a. If the client suggests changes 12 of 23

13 Make a list of the suggested changes. That list is a wish list, which should you, choose to make those changes, removes most if not all objections they would have to an updated or revised service. Those changes could possibly prevent future client losses by keeping your service fresh and adaptable. Consider all your options and what you consider to be the best course of action before answering or committing to any changes. 'If we make those changes, in the future will you consider us once more to provide you with (insert your service)?' If he will consider you in the future Can we keep in touch? This takes the pressure off, after he has just re-lived an unpleasant experience. Agree methods and frequency and make a note of time and date this agreement was made, in case they aren't being straight with you. Do this even if you think everything is fine. Contact him when/if you've made those changes. Thank him for helping you make the changes. Find out if he's in the market for your services. If he is, ask what you can do to help him solve his problem. If he isn't, regularly once a month send a newsletter detailing case histories of clients who've benefited from those changes, and valuable content he can use in his business. 9b. If the client doesn t or won t suggest changes If you were us, what would you have done differently? Make a list. 'If we make those changes, in the future will you consider us once more to provide you with (insert your service)?' Make a list of the suggested changes. That list is a wish list, which should you, choose to make those changes, removes most if not all objections they would have to an updated or revised service. Those changes could possibly prevent future client losses by keeping your service fresh and adaptable. Consider all your options and what you consider to be the best course of action before answering or committing to any changes. Then ask: After we've made those changes, can we keep in touch? Agree methods and frequency and make a note of time and date this agreement was 13 of 23

14 made, in case they aren't being straight with you. Do this even if you think everything is fine. Contact him when/if you've made those changes. Regularly once a month send a newsletter detailing case histories of clients who've benefited from those changes. 10. I/We/They don't take cold calls Ask or insist they take your call now (works in around 25% of cases). If you get nowhere, ring back in a few days at a different time of day. It s likely this is just the one person making this statement and they ve had a bad or stressful day. Thank them for their time and ring off. 11. If you give us a lower price, you can have the next contract OK that's fine, let s go over what you don't want, so we can reduce the price by that amount 12. I'm not interested I'm sorry to have caught you at a busy time. Are you interested in ABC company (their close competitor) realising an n percent growth in X, while, cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months? If so we could talk about that. This requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 13. I'm too busy 14 of 23

15 I'm sorry to have caught you at a busy time. Would you have enough time next week to talk about how ABC company (their close competitor) realised an n percent growth in X, while, while cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months? This requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 14. Just give me the 30 second version of your presentation ABC company (their close competitor) realised an n percent growth in X, while cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months?, would you be interested in how we did that for them? This is often asked to unsettle you. Don t let it faze you, just come back with this. It requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 15. No Names Policy This isn't usually company policy, rather it's a brush off by the person to whom you re speaking. Ring back in a couple of days and try a different time of day to avoid them. 16. No thanks, I'm happy with what I have stated before a solution has been offered 15 of 23

16 I'm glad to hear it, ABC company (their close competitor) realised an n percent growth in X, while, cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months? would you be interested in how we did that for them? Usually given at the beginning of a conversation, with the intention of cutting you off at the knees, before you ve had a chance to start with This requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 17. Ring me later/another time Sure, when would be a better time to talk about ABC company (their close competitor) realising an n percent growth in X, while, cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months? This requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 18. Send me information and I'll pass it on. If they're interested I/they will call you back. Call only to talk to the decision maker or his P.A. If you can't do that, ring off and try again in a couple of days. NEVER send information, because they won t take your calls again. They ll say We ve got your information, if we need something we ll call you. 19. Send me something/an /can I have a brochure - If the prospect has taken care when answering questions Push for a meeting between one and three weeks time (As a rule-of-thumb, the higher the decision maker the longer you have to wait for the next available slot in his diary. Many top decision makers are booked up at least three weeks in advance). Say: 16 of 23

17 I can see this is important to you, so why don't we meet for about fifteen minutes, to see if we can do something, I could see you at five past ten on the morning of the 23 rd, which is a Thursday, how does that sound? Do not say anything until the prospect answers. Even if he takes as long as five minutes or more, just grit your teeth and wait it out. This is called the silent close, the first to speak, loses. Do not under any circumstances use an alternative close such as five past ten on Thursday or twenty five past three on Friday. It is absolutely naff! It has been done to death and marks you out as a Salesperson rather than someone who may have a solution to their problem. If they can't make that time: Say: That's fine how about ten past two on the 27 th, that s the following Monday, I'll have about 20 minutes free then It s important not to suggest dates that are too close together, as you ll look desperate. In addition when suggesting a time and date for a meeting sound as if you are looking through a full diary; even if you have no other entries. People only want to deal with busy, successful people, so create that impression but don't lie or purposely mislead. 20. Send me something/an /can I have a brochure - If they aren't busy Restate your opening statement and develop the conversation. The opening statement is a balanced benefit statement and for more information on it click here 21. Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked at the end of a presentation which has gone well If you get this at the end of a presentation which has gone well this is a 'buying' signal' because they want to confirm everything that's been said, in black and white. Confirm everything discussed, the materials and documentation they re looking for and send it to them. 22. Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked before their needs have been established 17 of 23

18 I can do that, I want to make sure that anything I send is specific to your circumstances, so if you're busy now let's take a couple of minutes only, to see what it is you do need? They are fobbing you off. With this objection it s important to note the subtleties in the conversation to make sure this is what s happening. By going through what you 23. Send me something/an /can I have a brochure if asked over the phone I can do that, I want to make sure that anything I send is specific to your circumstances, so if you're busy now let's take a couple of minutes only, to see what it is you do need? 24. Tell me what it's about and I'll let you know who s the best person to speak to Don't tell them, or they'll never speak to you again or palm you off on to a subordinate. Call another day, tell them not to worry and ring back several days later. 25. That's interesting, but we've got a lot of things on at the moment, and it s not a priority I see you must be really busy, would this be something you d normally look after, had it been a priority? If it is: Do you keep up-to-date with developments, so you re ready should it become a priority? If it is, put him into your nurturing programme. (If he isn t the decision maker, find who it is and speak to him). Ask what things would need to change to make it a priority. Get specific and make a list. Structure his nurturing programme around these things. 18 of 23

19 26. We can get it cheaper elsewhere Yes, it's true, others offer a cheaper service for a cheaper price, but I thought you wanted to you avoid all the extra expense by getting it right first time. Do you have different priorities now? 27. We don't have the money or budget to buy anything right now I wasn't expecting you to have a budget in place, few, if any of my clients do. If together, we can come up with solutions that mean you end up with (insert your benefits: i.e. greater cashflow or more money than you have now, through increased profits, lower operating costs, or an increased client base), how do you feel about giving it a go? 28. We don't want to pay that amount OK that's fine, lets go over what you don't want, and we can reduce the price by that amount. 29. We want a deal OK that's fine, lets go over what you don't want, price by that amount. and we can reduce the 30. We're not in the market right now 19 of 23

20 I understand. ABC company (their close competitor) realised an n percent growth in X, while, cutting n percent in Y costs over the last 6 months? would you be interested in how we did that for them? This requires that you have already sold to that competitor, and have proof you ve impacted growth and costs. Insert the relevant figures and benefits, as they would apply to your prospect. The close competition is always an interesting subject, about which they would love to talk. It goes without saying you don t talk about confidential information, acquired while working with ABC company. 31. We've solved that problem/automated our business/it s not an issue for us If you re service has developed beyond that which the prospect can expect from his current solution, discuss the developments you ve made and benefits he can expect. If you haven t made any developments pump him for information on the pros and cons of his current solution and get his wish list. You can develop your solution based on this information. Make sure that what he has is a direct match for your service if not ask how he deals with those areas not covered by his existing solution. Find out if they are sincere and they have considered everything, you re offering. This is the same as Already have that or Just signed with a competitor objections above. If you get this objection before you ve shown what you can offer, then they re just fobbing you off. 32. What makes your company so good Because we listen, really listen to our clients. Because we make mistakes and then put things right, allowing us to continually improve our services and because we're passionate about making a difference in our clients working lives. 33. Why should I switch to you 20 of 23

21 You should only switch if together we can come up with solutions that answer your needs, you feel are genuine value for money, and you really want them. How do you feel about finding that out? 34. Objections when normally you get a positive response If you get an objection where clients normally give you a positive response and/or you're pretty sure this objection isn't genuine, but a brush off, where they haven't bothered to look at your offer and/or may sound dismissive. One example is where they claim they to do what you offer, in-house even though it s not their core business or they claim to get good results from something you know doesn't work or isn t as efficient or effective as your offering. Ask really specific questions as to how they measure their results, such as how they measure lead generation or compare lead sources. Ask how they generate those statistics, get specific don t just accept something like Google Analytics. Make them understand if they re flippant or dishonest you ll walk away. You've nothing to lose in asking very difficult questions politely, with a smile, even on the phone, (when you smile on the phone your voice changes and people pick that up) because you've lost them already or never had a chance in the first place. This is a chance to recover something. 35. You're too expensive I'm sorry you think that, where do you think we should offer greater value? Price is never the issue. It only comes up when the client thinks he's paying more that he's getting in return, which is a subjective matter. By asking this question, you get straight to the heart of the value problem. 21 of 23

22 Summary These objections will probably cover the mainstream of those your clients will use. As good as this list is it is utterly worthless to you if you don t learn and practice them, ready for when they re needed. While speaking to clients you won t have time to look them up. They must become part of you. Adapt them to your way of talking and make them yours. I wish you every success in your business and hope this list will make a difference for you. 22 of 23

23 Simon Atkins is Director of The Small Business Hub and specialises in marketing, sales, and social media skills for small business owners, and is passionate about helping them get the real-world, street smart skills, they can measure in greater profits and increased numbers of nurtured prospective clients. He s been a successful marketing and sales professional for more than 22 years. His career with market-leading companies spans a number of sectors including finance, industrial paper products, telecoms, specialised courier services, advertising and IT. He can be contacted by at info@thesmallbusinesshub.co.uk 23 of 23