Why clients don’t want to meet with us.

Person on their phone
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Lisa Thal

Is this what you or your sales team face? We prospect, we call, we email, we call again, and still, they resist.

The question is finding out what they are resisting. Let’s keep in mind our goal is to earn that first conversation! So we can reach the next meeting!

Please think about this. 1% of companies are in the market to buy something today. That means 99% of other companies may need your product or service tomorrow. So until we find the 1% of customers that need us today, we may be facing sales resistances from the other 99%. That is a lot of sales resistance!

If you’re in sales, you must expect to face some sales resistances; we all do. The question is, what are they resisting, and how do you over-come it?

7 Sales Resistance statements:

  1. I don’t need your product? Most clients are already working with a vendor or may not need your product or service right now. That may be true, is there an opportunity to say a benefit to meeting with you, can be to validate the current vendor they are working with or discover how they can improve your current doing? We need to identify what your prospect must believe in buying from you.
  2. Your product is not a good fit? I would bet about 25% of your list prospects are not a good fit for what you have to offer. In the media industry, we are very clear on who is consuming our product every day. For example, we have a female-driven radio station that targets Moms with kids. I need to remove the clients I am targeting that want men 18-34 or 55+. Why? Because they have other options that may be a better fit. So Step one remove those targets and replace them with accounts or categories of business in your wheelhouse. Create case studies of proven success that you can share with them. Focus on the clients that can benefit from your product or services, so you are a good fit!
  3. I don’t know your company? Unless your Apple, Amazon, Mercedes, or State Farm may not be familiar with your company. We may get some sales resistance when calling if they have never heard of our company. What can you do to make them more familiar? Market yourself and your company. If you missed Episode 91 on how to the 3 Strategies to generating leads on Linkedin with Jennifer Starling, I highly recommend listening to that podcast. Perhaps sharing a competitor’s name, you do business with can bring fewer resistances to moving forward to learning more from you. Find a better way to market yourself, so you become more top of mind.
  4. Your price is too high? You mean you haven’t heard a client say you’re not charging me enough, changing the proposal, and raising your price? Most of us listening has listened to the price resistance before? Our price is only too high when we have not proven that investing their dollars would have a payoff for them. What proof of performance can you share, so they stop resisting? A great way to address that would be Sharing proven case studies from other clients; other markets are having success is a great way. Client testimonials sharing I invested X thousand and got an X return. Digital Marketing shows you the metrics for every dollar spent. Every smart decision-maker expects an ROI.
  5. This is a Bad Time to buy. Perhaps many of you have heard, Not Now? Try to uncover the Why? Why is now the wrong time to buy? I don’t know about you, but most first calls don’t result in, ” Thanks for calling, I was waiting for your phone call, I cant wait to meet with you and hear about all your solutions to helping me”! More than likely, you will face resistance. Ask are you happy with where your sales currently are? Could they be better? I find it’s only the wrong time when you don’t have the right tactical plan to accomplish what they need.
  6. Resistance to Listen. Are we tuned into what our client is telling us? Or are we thinking about what we will say next? Asking probing questions and repeating what they say shows them you are listening. Getting clear on how you can help them is critical.
  7. Your product or service is not a good fit. Remember, about 25% of the prospects on your list are not great leads. Determine whether your product or service is a good fit. If it is not, they move on to clients that are a better fit for you. Identify the categories that are performing well for you and your company. Ask your best customers the number one reason they do business with you, of course, outside working with you! You may find verbiage to use when reaching out to other prospects.

So expect a little sales resistance. Research your prospect before you call or email them so you can identify the Why, the problem they have, or the opportunity or solution you can provide! Remove the 25% of accounts that are not a good fit. Keep marketing yourself and your company. Provide proof that working with you is a great decision!

And remember, to exist, you must persist!

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