August 2013
 

Why your sales team isn't getting those appointments

Let's suppose I'm a salesperson calling on you at your office. You tell me you think my price is too high, or you're happy with your current provider.

 

You're not going to follow with, "So get out of my office!" are you? Instead, you'll be agreeable to have a chat about the objection and I'll help you work through it.

 

But a prospecting call on the telephone where I'm trying to get that appointment is a different matter entirely. The connection between us on the phone is tenuous, and there's a risk that you'll get rid of me and hang up. If you're a desirable prospect, I don't want that to happen, so what's best to do?

 

You need to solve this problem for your team because you want them to get those appointments and not lose valued prospects, right? And yet, even though they hear the same objections on the phone time after time, most salespeople have no idea how to respond.

 

So here are a few tips on moving past the objection and keeping the conversation alive. After all, if you can just get prospects to chat with you a bit and you resonate with them, they often agree to an appointment. You've had this happen yourself. Here's what to do:

 

1) Never argue with the objection. Whatever the prospect says is quite all right.  Just say, "I totally understand...That's fine...I hear that from time to time..." and so on.

 

2) Ask permission to ask "just a couple of quick questions."  Remember this phrase! It's the sure-fire way to keep the prospect engaged.  You say, "I totally understand.  Before I let you go, may I just ask you a couple of quick questions about that?"

 

3) Now ask questions that get at the prospect's feelings or opinions.  Don't ask questions that attempt to qualify the prospect for your product!  Make it about the prospect, not you.

 

Now let's work through the example I gave you on my blog last week, where the prospect says, "Just send me something in the mail and I'll look it over." Don't argue with the prospect and say it's no trouble for you to stop by with it. (See tip one.)

 

Simply say, "I'd be happy to send you some information. Now of course I want to make sure I send you material that's most relevant to your interests, so let me just ask you a couple of quick questions to narrow that down," and you're off to a great dialog.

 

What do you say on the phone when the prospect tells you, "I'm very happy with my current provider?" I know you've heard that one before.  In my blog post this Friday I'll give you the perfect response, following the tips above.  Please join me.

 

 

Think Like Your Customer

 

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Gregory LaMothe
ActionSystems

Gregory LaMothe

ActionSystems, Principal

  
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