RECONVERSIÓN DEL SECTOR METAL-MECÁNICO AL SECTOR AEROESPACIAL

a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and people who consider

price alone are this man’s lawful prey.

—JOHNRUSKIN

P r o s p e c t s are often repelled when they hear the price, especially if it’s high (the term for this is ‘‘sticker shock’’). In this chapter, we’ll look at ways to eliminate price resistance before you quote the actual price, and how to prevent cost from being a barrier to sale. Also covered are ways to overcome other common objections from ‘‘We already have a supplier’’ to ‘‘Why should I do business with you?’’

Here are some ground rules for handling objections of all kinds: 1. Attitude is everything. Have a positive, friendly, helpful attitude

when dealing with objections.

2. Do not convey to prospects that they are stupid or ignorant, that their objections are petty or annoying, or that they are wasting your time.

3. Treat the objection not as a rejection of you but as an uncertainty on the part of the prospect—which it is.

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4. Assume this uncertainty is based on lack of data, inaccurate informa- tion, or false premises. Your job: to educate prospects so they under- stand the situation correctly.

5. Never say to prospects, ‘‘You’re wrong.’’ Few things make people angrier and more defensive than being told they are wrong or stupid. 6. After prospects voice an objection, repeat it back to them in their own words to acknowledge that you heard and understand. For in- stance, ‘‘So you’re saying that you prefer a modern design in the living room, even though the rest of the first floor is done in an- tiques?’’ Prospects will immediately become much more comfortable when they hear their objections acknowledged and taken seriously. 7. Then say, ‘‘That’s an interesting point. But have you thought about

[give your own point of view]?’’ Then launch into an explanation of why your point of view makes sense.

8. Keep in mind that the prospect doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right. As Jerry Straus of JMW Consultants says, ‘‘Instead of ‘either/or’ think ‘and/also.’ Instead of ‘Either you are right, Mr. Pros- pect, or I am right,’ say, ‘You are right in what you say, Mr. Pros- pect—and here’s what else is also possible.’ ’’

Too many salespeople spend too much time in the counterpro- ductive activity of trying to show prospects why they are wrong rather than trying to help them find a way to solve their problems using your services.

9. Convince prospects that the advantages of hiring you far outweigh the merits of their objection. You do this not by belittling or minimiz- ing the objection but by shifting attention away from it (which typi- cally deals with some minor aspect or feature of your services prospects don’t like) to the end result or benefit prospects are seek- ing (which your services can deliver better than anyone else’s).

For instance, let’s say a prospect says, ‘‘I don’t like the green computer paper your monthly computer reports are printed on.’’ Assuming your computer system is inflexible and you can’t change the paper, you would say, ‘‘I understand. But, tell me, Ms. Prospect,

145 what’s more important to you—the color of the paper used in the reports, or the information they contain that will help you manage your accounts receivables and billings so much more precisely and effectively?’’

When the prospect answers, ‘‘The information, of course,’’ you respond by repeating the key reasons why your system provides bet- ter information, thus shifting the prospect’s attention away from a minor objection (green paper) and focusing it on the central issues of your service and the prospect’s requirements, where it should be.

A T T R A C T I O N P R I N C I P L E  1 6 :

Deal with objections without insulting the customer.

You cannot agree with everything every prospect and customer says. But understand that whenever you disagree with someone, you risk making yourself less attractive to them.

So, what do you do when the customer says something you believe is wrong—and if uncorrected, will interfere with closing the sale? After the statement is made, don’t disagree with it. But you must say something in response. Say: ‘‘I understand.’’ For example:

Prospect: ‘‘Your system doesn’t work. It didn’t test well on our data-

base.’’

You: ‘‘I understand.’’

Then ask a question to explore the issue further, such as, ‘‘Why do you think the system didn’t work well with your customer file?’’ Focus on finding a solution. The customer sees this as helpful, which deflects the potential adversarial situation that a disagreement can escalate into.

It’s my opinion that people, and that includes prospects and customers, have gotten ruder over the last twenty-five years. I don’t think people want to be rude; I think the time pressures of modern society cause them to be

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rude. I call this ‘‘haste-based rudeness,’’ and it is a major societal shift in behavior.

When something doesn’t go our way, we become impatient, because we are too busy to stop and fix it. We take out our frustration on waiters, repairmen, and other people who serve us, including salespeople.

Understand that when a prospect shows impatience or abruptness, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. People become irritated because, when you are pressed for time, any problem or hitch seems intolerable—not because they don’t like you or want to make you squirm.

One thing I have found works well in today’s selling environment, when- ever talking with a prospect or customer about anything, is to ask before beginning a discussion: ‘‘Is now a good time for you? Or should we set a time to talk about this?’’

I use a similar technique when making cold calls or follow-up sales calls. Before I begin talking, I ask the prospect this simple question: ‘‘Am I catch- ing you at a bad time?’’ If they say yes, I ask when would be a better time to talk, and call back at the time and date they select. If they say ‘‘no,’’ it’s my understanding—and, I believe, theirs too—that they have given me permission to proceed, provided I am relevant, concise, and do not waste their time.

Salespeople are taught in training sessions always to close now, and not later—but in the twenty-first century, this doesn’t work any more. People do things according to their own schedule, and when you show respect for their time, you become more attractive to them.