Just about every company in existence has had some problem
account that they really messed up and, as a result, have lost.
Then along comes a new, unsuspecting salesperson in the
territory-or maybe the past messed-up customer turns up on a
hot-prospect list. Here's what it sounds like:
Prospect: "We used your
line of [detergent], and it cost us a fortune in repair bills for
our steam washers. I'll never use your company again."
Top Salesperson: "Sorry to hear that. Let me ask
you, if your company's best salesperson just heard that
objection from one of their past customers, how would you
personally coach them in answering it."
If you hear anything other than a click and a dial tone,
you're in business. Suppose you hear something like:
Prospect: "I'd tell
your production department to get a new formula, and then I'd
tell your quality assurance department to put proper warning labels
on your packaging. And I'd tell your sales department to know
everything about their product before they go out and try to
sell it." Etc., etc.
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As this prospect dumps on you, make sure you take notes. When
the person is all done and feels heard, you can say something.
Top Salesperson: "Thank
you very much. Here's what we've done…" (Now
articulate what, if anything, you've done to correct the
situation-and more importantly, what you've done that
this prospect suggested be done.)
The biggest insult you can give any prospect at this point is to
become a "parrot" and say something totally lame:
Lousy Salesperson: "I can
see that you've had a bad experience with our company in the
past. Well, fortunately, that salesperson is no longer here. I am
committed to doing whatever it takes to win your business back.
Blah, blah, blah…"
This will only succeed in getting the other person to tune
out.
Be an ambassador for your organization, take the heat, do
whatever it takes to make it right, and see to it that you and what
you're selling are engaged in a constant improvement
program.
Objection Strategy 5: Don't Agree to
"Call Me in Two Months From Never"
You sent the e-presentation, you call to follow up, and
everything's going great. Your prospect seems interested
enough, but he's preoccupied. He makes a request that
you've heard a thousand times before:
Prospect: "I am interested in your line of crop
dusters, but I've got to do some year-end budget planning
first. Call me in three months."
(What to do? Take a look.)
Top Salesperson: "Sure. Let me ask you, though:
Let's say it's three months from now. What exactly would
you want to see, hear, or experience during that time that would
provide a complete understanding of our products, services, and
solutions?"
Prospect: "Well, I'd first want to talk to
someone who has a similar need to mine, and then I'd want to
take a ride in the crop duster, and finally I'd want to have my
aviation director take a look."
Top Salesperson: "I've got an idea. How about
you and I grab a bite to eat with one of my customers sometime in
the next month? What's your calendar look like?"
Or: "How about this? While you're crunching
number, I can have a conversation with your director of aviation
about..."
The key here is to offer several suggestions as to steps and
actions that can easily take place during the idle time the
prospect suggested.
It never ceases to amaze me how many salespeople will obediently
take the blow-off and actually agree to give a callback in three
months from never. Make no mistake, during that time your
competition will be calling on this prospect and outpositioning you
in the interim.
Have an arsenal of information, tactics, activities,
correspondence, newsletters, touch points, lunches, lattes, and so
forth that you can offer in response to the endless blow-off. It
beats knee-jerk acceptance of a blow-off.
Objection Strategy 6: The Best Offense is a Good
Defense
This extremely cool, highly effective, unorthodox strategy for
dealing with objections comes to your courtesy of Joe Sugarman, the
king of infomercials and an icon in marketing. You may not
recognize the name, but you most likely have one or more of his
products, such as his blue-blocker sunglasses. Here then is one of
the best sales tactics that I've ever learned, compliments of
Mr. Sugarman.
Every single product, service and solution in existence has its
fair share of flaws. So the question is, what are you as a
salesperson going to do when those flaws are pointed out? Oh, sure,
you could be on the defense and "handle" the problem when
it comes up, but how about turning the table? How about bringing up
your worse objection before your prospect does? How about bringing
it up when you want to take about it?
Let me give you an example. Let's say you're selling the
highest-priced chemical cleaner on the market. And let's say
that the price objection always rears its ugly head at a time when
it typically isn't favorable to closing the sale that
you've worked on so hard.
Top Salesperson (You): "Mr. Lowball, you'll find
that we're the only provider of high-quality,
extended-shelf-life, and EPA-compliant chemical cleaners on the
market. And you'll also find that we're the highest-priced
solution."
(There. You came right out and said it.)
Prospect: "Well, that's a problem. I've been
asked to reduce expenses for the balance of this year."
Smart Salesperson: "Have you completed your annual
EPA inspection?"
Prospect: "No, it's due to start in the third
quarter."
Smart Salesperson: "Shall we provide you with enough
cleaner to satisfy your needs until the end of the third
quarter-and guarantee that you pass the inspection with flying
colors?"
In every single case you'll gain the respect and confidence
of your prospect with this approach.
Excerpted from Stop Cold Calling Forever!from Entrepreneur
Press.
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