Is your team prepared?
The new year is here, and some clients are doing business with the competition instead of you. Do you know why? The sales teams that consistently exceed expectations tend to be more aware of what is keeping them from earning business. This makes them ready for any objection that potential clients may present to them. They’re then able to find a way to build trust with their clients and shift their thinking.
It has also been my experience that clients do business with those they trust! It’s the relationship you develop along with a fair price and value. There will be times that we will face the price objection at some point in our careers. Price is a natural objection for clients to give us, but here is the exciting news: I see opposition as an opportunity. When a client objects to a rate, you have the chance to educate them and give them more information. It’s a way to test whether you are confident in what you’re presenting.
When I recommended a business solutions campaign for a major automotive client, I put the investment page first in the proposal. He seemed surprised, so I explained that I thought it was vital for him to see the investment first, and then on the following pages he could discover what it would take to achieve the outcomes we discussed. Those pages included a reminder of the result my client desired, which was to sell a specific number of new cars per month. The program I recommended detailed the strategy and timelines needed to achieve his goal. We moved away from the price and focused on his outcome of selling more cars. Our discussion became more about my client’s needs and not about where I ranked in the market with a certain demographic.
Your relationship and ability to think like your client is critical. You gain a tremendous advantage over your competition when you’re able to eliminate or navigate their objection. As a sales manager, it’s our responsibility to make sure our team can address any opposition that comes their way as well. I suggest you ask your team to share the top three objections they are facing. You will likely hear these common responses:
You’re too expensive.
I am too busy to meet.
We don’t have the budget.
I tried radio, and it didn’t work.
Send me the information to review.
Now the fun begins. In your next sales meeting, write down the top three reasons or objections your team shared. Go around the room and ask how each of them would respond to those objections or what strategy they would implement to build on a better relationship. Be prepared with how you might answer the objections. Next, develop the best verbiage to overcome these roadblocks and earn the business.
In the following sales meeting, write the following words on the board: “Own the objection!” Have your team role play with each other and practice answering each objection until it comes off naturally. You will discover where the coaching moments are with your team during this exercise, and you may need to spend additional time in your weekly one-on-one’s until you know they have mastered it.
For more coaching topics to use with your team, check out www.threewordmeetings.com.