We’ve all had the somewhat startling experience of thinking things are going really well during a cold call, and suddenly someone pulls back on us. They give us an “objection,” or just say something to end the conversation.
Most of us have been trained to overcome objections during our cold calls, and keep moving forward. The thinking is that if you’re persistent enough, then you’ll make the sale.
In other words, we’re supposed to bypass people's objections and concerns because we’ve already decided for them that they should buy what we have to offer.
A lot of times, prospects express objections because they’re actually reacting to the sales pressure you’re unknowingly creating. This is the root of the old but true saying, “If they don’t buy how you sell, they’ll never buy what you sell.”
This is what I call real resistance, because clients are resisting your cold calling attempts to sell them. Their objections may actually be code words for “I’m feeling pressured by how you’re selling.”
The tricky thing is that your potential client probably isn’t going to tell you the truth. After all, when was the last time someone said, “You know, I feel as if you’re really attached to getting the sale here. And that’s making me feel pressured. It’s creating a slight tension in my stomach. I’m not about to tell you anything more about my situation and the issues I’m trying to solve, because at this point, I don’t trust you.”
Here are three important ways to keep your cold calling conversations resistance-free:
1. Assume that pressure is always present.
Even when you’re doing everything you can to create a pressure-free environment, assume that the other person is going to feel some sales pressure.
Why must you do this? Because in cold calling, you’re not battling about your product, how good it is, or how competitive it is. You’re battling the negative “salesperson” image and stereotype.
Your clients have lived through so many traditional sales approaches that any behavior or energy that connects you with that image will set off internal alarms, make them shut down, and raise objections.
This is why you must be sure that your communication style never makes your prospects feel as if you’re associated with the negative stereotype of a “salesperson.”
2. Trust your intuition and instincts.
Over time you’ll start picking up signals that show someone is feeling pressured, and be able to avoid saying things that will only create resistance. You’ll start listening to yourself and be aware of anything that conveys sales pressure.
For example, here are some signs that potential clients may be reacting to when they sense as your attempts to pressure them:
• They stop asking your questions
• They seem to lose interest in talking with you
• They give you short answers
• They seem to withdraw their energy from the situation
To avoid creating resistance, you need to forget virtually everything you’ve ever been told about selling, and replace it with this simple idea: care about the well-being of your prospect more than you care about just making the sale.
3. Stop as Soon as You Hear an Objection
Whenever you hear an objection, stop. Take a deep breath and physically relax yourself. Then gently re-engage the conversation as you continue to explore the truth of your potential client’s situation.
4. Honor the “weak moment”
An objection is really the greatest moment of vulnerability for potential clients, because they aren’t sure. If they were sure, they’d simply say “yes” or “no.”
But they aren’t sure, so they may be using an “objection” as a way to buy time, to get some space so they can stay in control (because they assume that you’re going to try to pressure them).
Remember, most of the time, your potential clients aren’t objecting to what you’re selling but to how you’re selling. The best way to stop triggering resistance is by not pushing during moments of uncertainty. When you allow things to unfold naturally instead of pressuring the sale, people feel okay about being less defensive.
Cold Calls - A New Way to Open
Most of us design our cold calling around scripts and strategies. Isn’t that how we’ve been taught by the sales gurus? Sales strategies do the exact same thing. There’s something about scripts and sales strategies -- it always shows. I call this "The Wall." The traditional cold calling approach, which has been taught by the sales gurus for years, involves immediately giving a pitch about who you are and what you have to offer.
How to Stop Cold Calls from Feeling Intrusive - 4 key ways to be seen as helpful while cold calling
Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. When our cold calls do not feel intrusive, people naturally are more open to talking with us.Focusing on being helpful takes us away from the traditional sales mindset. To be perceived as helpful, we must actually be helpful.
Selling Online, Selling Offline -- What\\\'s the Difference?
Ever since I created Unlock The Game™, one of the first questions people always ask me is,"Does Unlock The Game™ apply to online selling?"
