The objections you’ll face when selling
There’s a certain set of objections that come up when you’re selling your stuff. That may sound like bad news, but it’s actually a good thing. When you know what the objections are in advance, then you know how you can prepare to handle them, even if you’re not a natural salesperson.
Let’s take a look at what the top 7 are.
“You don’t understand my problem”
No customer actually says this, but if they are looking confused or a little miffed, it’s usually due to this.
The customer feels as though you don’t really understand what they need or what they want to solve. And that is making them frustrated.
It’s like being forced to watch a TV show that you have no interest in. It’s annoying and there’s no way you’ll want to put yourself in this situation again.
The solution? Listening more and talking less.
Ask questions about the customer and what issues they are having so that you can find a way that your thing might be relevant. If there is no connection, then it’s ok! There’s always the next person.
“You don’t have the expertise to solve this for me”
It can be hard not to take this personally, especially if you believe that you do. In a world of fake gurus, fly-by-nighters and less need for real qualifications, customers are feeling burned by consultants, especially.
You solve this by providing examples and case studies that show what you’ve been able to do with others.
It’s even better if you’re able to give examples of businesses like theirs.
“Is anyone else buying this product?”
At any party, no one likes being the first on the dancefloor. At least not until someone has had enough to drink that they no longer have any inhibitions.
But it’s likely that your customer isn’t drunk. They are going to be wary and a little sceptical of what you or your product can do for them.
If you don’t have any clients yet, you can speak to your test cases, free clients or even talk about others who are buying similar things to help their businesses or lives.
Again, try to concentrate on examples that are as close to your customer’s situation as possible.
“Why is it priced like this?”
Price has become an important factor this year as we move towards a global recession and less spending by households and businesses.
The best attitude to move forward with is that “your price is your price.”
Why people feel that they can negotiate your price, but they can’t negotiate the price at Woolworths or Kmart astounds me. They would rather pay the going rate to an international corporation but want to screw a small business to the wall.
Your price is your price. You priced it like this because you need to be able to live. That is reason enough.
“How fast will it work?”
Anyone who is providing marketing or consultation services would know this one well. The same goes for those in skincare and wellness.
The easy answer is “depends.” And your customer will hate that.
Be clear with your answer and very conservative. Do not promise things that can’t be delivered. Or timelines that are not realistic. Trust me, I’ve been hammered over this a lot in my career.
“Why should I change?”
This comes up a lot when you’re asking someone to use you instead of who they are currently using.
Your answer to this will be different to mine. And everyone else’s. Your unique selling proposition (USP) is important to define BEFORE you start selling to people.
Understand what is different about your solution. Know your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. This will help you understand what your threats and opportunities are when you start talking to potential customers.
Why now?
The simple answer for most of us is, “I need the money” or “I need to make this month’s sales target.”
Prepare an answer for this. It could be that you have a special rate right now that expires soon. Or that buying now could mean a better tax deduction for them.
Or there may be no reason why they should buy now, as opposed to in 3 months’ time.
I find that the best answer is that the benefits of your solution happen sooner if they start with you now. And nothing will change if they don’t go ahead. And that potential lack of change is something your customer probably wants to avoid if they have a real problem that needs solving.
Every sole trader, freelancer or “solopreneur” is a salesperson.
You need to be prepared.
So make sure you have your answers ready for that next time when there is an opportunity to pitch yourself to a potential customer.
It will make a huge difference to your rate of success, and take a whole lot of pressure off at the time. You can be confident when you already know what your answers are going to be.
You have already done the hardest part of starting a business — you made the decision.
Sales is less difficult than you think it is. Just be prepared for it.
Dante St James is the founder of Clickstarter, a Meta Certified Lead Trainer, a Community Trainer with Meta Australia, a digital advisor with Business Station, an accredited Digital Solutions advisor and presenter, and the editor at The Small Marketer. You can watch free 1-hour webinars and grow your digital skills at Dante’s YouTube Channel.
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