05:30
Faizan
I was coaching a client this week and he was complaining about the biggest objection he almost always gets at the end of his presentation - that prospect stall the sale by saying they have to run it by another person first to get approval.
Now I've written about this before and provided ways of overcoming this, such as by isolating it with: ("If the decision were up to you, what would YOU do?"), etc., but he tells me that it still comes up and is the number one objection/stall that keeps him from closing sales. Here was my advice:
First, realize that when an objection keeps coming up at the end of your close, you need to find a way to deal with it - actually eliminate it - during your first qualifying call. I've always found that if I didn't uncover and deal with an objection on the first call, then it's my fault if it continually comes up at the end of the closing call (which it usually does). So the point here is that you need to handle it before it comes up.
Second, I recommended that we role play the solution. Here's how it went:
Me: So tell me who you consult with when making the decision on something like this?
Prospect (P): Well, if I like it, then I send it to my regional manager.
Me: O.K., and how open is your regional manager to adding another vendor in this area?
P: Actually, I don't know. I just send things on to them and sometimes they do it, and sometimes they don't.
Me: I understand. And what is the name of your regional manager?
P: Dave.
Me: O.K., well how about we do this. Rather than you and me taking time to go through a whole presentation together and then you liking it and sending it on hoping that Dave approves it, how about if you send Dave an email and see if he is even open to adding vendors at this time. If he is, then I'll set up the presentation with you and then, if you like it, you can then forward this on to Dave, how does that sound?
P: That's sounds O.K.
Me: In fact, I'll go one further for you. How about if I send Dave the email, I'll copy you, and then we'll both know if we should continue or not. After I hear back from him, yes or no, then I'll reach back out to you and either set something up or schedule to follow up in a few months - how does that sound?
Now I've written about this before and provided ways of overcoming this, such as by isolating it with: ("If the decision were up to you, what would YOU do?"), etc., but he tells me that it still comes up and is the number one objection/stall that keeps him from closing sales. Here was my advice:
First, realize that when an objection keeps coming up at the end of your close, you need to find a way to deal with it - actually eliminate it - during your first qualifying call. I've always found that if I didn't uncover and deal with an objection on the first call, then it's my fault if it continually comes up at the end of the closing call (which it usually does). So the point here is that you need to handle it before it comes up.
Second, I recommended that we role play the solution. Here's how it went:
Me: So tell me who you consult with when making the decision on something like this?
Prospect (P): Well, if I like it, then I send it to my regional manager.
Me: O.K., and how open is your regional manager to adding another vendor in this area?
P: Actually, I don't know. I just send things on to them and sometimes they do it, and sometimes they don't.
Me: I understand. And what is the name of your regional manager?
P: Dave.
Me: O.K., well how about we do this. Rather than you and me taking time to go through a whole presentation together and then you liking it and sending it on hoping that Dave approves it, how about if you send Dave an email and see if he is even open to adding vendors at this time. If he is, then I'll set up the presentation with you and then, if you like it, you can then forward this on to Dave, how does that sound?
P: That's sounds O.K.
Me: In fact, I'll go one further for you. How about if I send Dave the email, I'll copy you, and then we'll both know if we should continue or not. After I hear back from him, yes or no, then I'll reach back out to you and either set something up or schedule to follow up in a few months - how does that sound?
Posted in: business
