In the world of B2B sales, sellers are taught to focus on the inevitable “moment of truth” — that moment in any sales call or presentation when the potential buyer raises objections, asks questions or begins to show reservations about just exactly what you are selling.
In short, how do you get past “No”?
The classic approach, of course, is to focus on the perfect counter-objection to the objection, Say, for example, the buyer thinks the solution is too expensive. You might explain how the solution might be cheaper through different types of financing plans or by moving to a different price tier. Or, for example, the buyer may not need all the features and functionality your solution offers, so you might explain how your solution is scalable for the company’s future growth.
And on and on… You could come up with a counter-objection for just about anything. However, there’s just one problem with this approach – it makes the prospect defensive. In a worst-case scenario, the prospect might think they are being challenged, and retreat even further from a potential sale. In some cases, they may simply hang up on you if they feel that you are being too pushy.
But there’s one B2B sales trick that works, according to psychologists. The best solution, they say, is to agree with the buyer and show empathy for their concerns. Instead of trying to prove that they are wrong or misguided, you acknowledge their concerns as valid and tell them that you can understand their point of view.
If you’re being cynical, you can think of this as some kind of Jedi mind-trick, in which you are “tricking” them into seeing things your way. But psychologists say that something deeper is going on — you are encouraging prospects to lower their guard and have a real conversation about what they need and what they don’t need.
That’s good news for you as the B2B salesperson. You now have a way to create a dialogue with the prospect. Just a few simple words – “I know what you mean” — can work magic. All of a sudden, you are not an adversary, you are a partner. You are both trying to get to a solution that works, rather than trying to impose a solution on someone who may or may not want it.
The new “moment of truth,” then, becomes when the customer asks you the following question: “What would you recommend?” This implies that the customer is willing to listen, and that he or she thinks you have enough knowledge, skill or experience to help them find the optimal solution.
And what more could you want as a B2B salesperson?
You can find several different scripts online of what to say – and what not to say. Experts say that you want to avoid appearing to “patronize” the customer. This is especially true if the customer has told you his or her organization can’t afford your pricey solution — you don’t want them to feel inferior for not buying into your feature-rich (but expensive) solution.
At the end of the day, this might be the easiest way to get to “Yes” when it looked like the answer might be “No.”
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Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.