Claude Whitacre

HEY! Does anyone have an answer for this one? I do (And I think I read a great one by either JD or Ken Michaels in one of their reports.) I have an answer, but I left the last two posts. Anyone? I'm lonely.

Question: "My Yellow Page contract is up in 4 months. Can you call me then?"

and "I have to wait until the election to see how the economy goes"

Guys?

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

Claude Whitacre

Question: Why is your quote so expensive?
[/QUOTE]
My answer;
"Compared to what?"
I just want the prospect to vent. It gives him time to give me his opinions, and it give me time to look for openings, common ground, and sometimes they just talk themselves out of the argument.
Are they saying that you are asking more money than they expected, because they had a made up figure in their mind? Are that comparing you to a quote from an internet guy for a different service? (this one is pretty likely)
Are they comparing your quote to a different form of advertising?
Is it a way to get you to discount (In other words they always say it's expensive)?

A lot of my selling is letting them vent. Prospects love to give their opinion. They also love to tell stories where they are either the hero, or the victim. Listening to them vent is one of the best things I've learned to do to establish rapport, and to give me information to determine the direction of the conversation. Asking a question, and then really listening to the answer is a great compliment.

Nobody can dis-agree with you when you are listening to them.
I know that sounds like a slogan. But it's real.

To be honest, I started this "asking questions and letting them vent" out of laziness. But it works.

I also get "The last guy that I paid for online marketing didn't do anything!"
I say "So tell me about that"...and I listen.

Another slogan sounding moment.....
I find it easier to sell an angry prospect than a neutral one. I'm dead serious.

Because an angry person is involved emotionally. Once you listen thoroughly to their grief, they start to swing toward neutral...and the momentum helps carry them over to your side.
And I hope I don't offend anyone with this, but it's the reason "make up sex" is so great (I've heard). Once the "I'm angry" gauge starts moving away from one side to "I like you. You understand what I want"... it's far easier to keep it going.

Anyway. I hope this helps someone. Now, I'm going back to work.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

Sue Bruce

@ Claude "Question: "My Yellow Page contract is up in 4 months. Can you call me then?"

Just had this one recently. I don't focus on this question, Period anymore. Instead, I'll ask them a probing question about the reason WHY they're asking me to do a CB.

Rebuttal: "Just out of curiousity, how much ROI do you get monthly on your YP investment?"
Most prospects can't give a number.

"You and I can put a simple tracking system in place in a few minutes so you can see by the numbers exactly how profitable the ad is."

It's a foot in the door. I can set up the system on the phone (if not local)or in person, and get more info about their total advertising budget, how much their YP ad is, what size, how much each customer is worth, etc. Once I've gone as far as I can go with the info gathering, I can slide into services offered very easily.

As soon as YP is mentioned by the customer my mind is thinking, "Cut the size of the ad probably by half, the remaining should be going into my business account because I can show them better ROI's for their money.

Sue

mnall01

I love ewenmack's questions. It's important in any sales situation to stay in control. Questions allow you to do that. If you come back with a quick answer, like, We do that too, or yes we can or no we can't... it indicates a couple of things to your prospect. The first is that you haven't really thought about their question. The other thing it can do, is put you in the me too category. If you pigeon hole yourself into the me too category, you will have a hard time differentiating yourself from you competition, have to settle on lower pricing and make it harder to close deals. Asking questions helps to draw out true needs and hot buttons for your prospect and allows you to hone in on the things that matter most to them. Nice job ewenmack.

Sue Bruce

Ooops, forgot to ask one.

Can you send something over for me to have a look at?

Mwind076

(I'm going to jump in here and hope I'm playing right)

Sure, what's your email? (marysmith@abc.com) Sounds good, I'll send over an email tonight with my contact information and the link to our site with some bullet points for you to review. Will you be in on Wednesday so I can touch base to answer any questions and get your feedback (this makes them think you want their input)? (Yes) Great, morning or afternoon? - then follow up! (No) That's fine, what day will you be in the office?


Ok, my question/excuse:

I just had that (SEO, videography, website redesign) done 3 months ago, and I haven't seen any ROI, so I'm not going to waste your time, I'm NI.

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vndnbrgj

That's not a problem.
MWind, do you mind if I just ask you why you got that service 3 months ago?


My Logic:
I always respond with... "That's not a problem" first.
Then, turn it around into a question to get her (in this case) to tell me her reasons she buys

Mwind076

EXACTLY what I do. Not that I "can't" answer it, but they are already on a negative spin...so get them talking about something else or take it around the bush, and try again! I'll add, that after 2 "NI" type statements, I just send info and move on, there's more fish.

Oh, and add your question!!!!!!

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vndnbrgj

My objective is to elicit your buying code.
Then formulate a service that fits your need, while at the same time, I will make myself and my company look like the only reasonable solution.

Sue Bruce

Ken Michael's rules
Rules:

Anybody can leave a question, then anybody, can leave what they would say as the rebuttal. ( quote the question so we don't have confusion )

After you answer a rebuttal. Please leave another question for some one else to answer / rebut.

---------
NO BULLSH** hypothetical questions. ONLY ask questions you have been asked.

NO BULLSH** hypothetical responses. ONLY drop a rebuttal if you have used it.
---------

The idea is for this thread to become a place for people to print out
the responses that best fit them, and pin them to the wall of their workstation.

If this goes halfway decent, i am hoping for 5 - 10 different rebuttals per question that would be a HUGE help to some people.


*This thread is to help learn phone sales. Please don't leave comments
that are negative to phone sales.

Sorry Ken, some just aren't geting it.

Sue

Mwind076

Just wondering...who are you talking about? I can't find anyone that wasn't doing the game?

I answered yours, then someone answered mine

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Sue Bruce

mnall0l Not a clue what we are doing

helisell

Hopefully some of the newer folks will spot from Ewan that EVERY rebuttal is a request for more information.....EVERY TIME.

In fact almost ANY question will do, and I mean even a seemingly completely obscure question....example

"I'm sick to death paying out good money to you web people and not seeing a return on it"

Mr Customer....can I ask you....what was the last big purchase you made for the home?
And can I ask....what made you pick that particular model and not a cheaper one?

Hint: we are heading towards a discussion about spending and value and choices and we can steer the conversation back to his original objection in a very meaningful way. Not a word-for-word answer I know but useful I hope.

My objection: I like what you have but I'd just need to think about it overnight and I'll call you tomorrow.

vndnbrgj

Not a problem Helisell.
Which part of it do you need to think over?

vndnbrgj

Are you talking about me....???

Sue Bruce

No, the previous post.

biz2mob

Objection from restaurant owners I hear a lot.

Our restaurant is too small we don't do any marketing!
(In response to SMS marketing)

vndnbrgj

I am not on the SMS bandwagon.
It is used as an add-on/complimentary sale for me.

But, here's a few things you could say.

That's not a problem.
Let me ask you, what were your goals when you started this restaurant?

That's not a problem.
Would you mind telling me, what "too small" means to you?

That's not a problem.
Mind if I ask you how that's working for you?
(Let then answer)
Do you ever have any slow nights?

Or if they tell you xxxx night is usually slow....
Ask them what they have done to try and fix this.

kenmichaels

Me ) Sure i can call you then, but that would be a huge mistake.

Bob) why

Me) well let me ask you, do you really want to wait another four months to
start bringing in new business?

Of course not, So lets talk about the real issue ...

( 10 to 1 its $$$ ) << -- not said out loud

I think this one has about 50 different answers that would work.
That was just the first one to pop into my head.

This one, i would just kinda do a low chuckle, and say
Yeah, i understand, what do you think is going to happen...

and then just let them talk for a while.

I would then figure out if they were a bona fide nutjob and move on,

or I would have have all the bullets i needed to close them.


Q: I have had a website for 10 years, i have never made a dime.

kenmichaels

This is brilliant, only a master craftsmen truly understands a pissed off person is one of the easiest to sell.

Another thing a lot of people don't grasp, is if you just listen and occasionally nudge
you can pretty much guide people ...effortlessly into selling them selves.

but the whole key is to listen, and then to understand when to nudge.

and any one can learn to do it, and a great start is reading what cluade said
a few dozen times... until the lite bulb goes off... and then just go practice
every chance you get.

kenmichaels

I could, but no.

Bob i know that sounds harsh ...
but your a busy person, you have your business, you have a life, things will get
in the way, i know, i know you will promise to read it, and you will have
every intention of doing so, but chances are its not going to happen.

This decision is just too important. I would not being doing my job
if i let this opportunity slip away from you, so lets take a few minutes
and get all your questions answered now ... fair enough?

Q: Exactly how much money am I going to make every month?

Mwind076

I don't think she knows who she's talking about. LOL. Someone needs to get a shorter horse.

Looking for answers on how to SUCCESSFULLY market your marketing?
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Claude Whitacre

A few things;
1) Smart answer
2) Great Avatar. It gives a powerful marketing message. I'm not kidding.

I see the logic of your response, but I put in something before I start the "spending and value choices" discussion.

I ask "Something must have happened. Tell me about it"

I want them to vent their pain before I start really rebutting their objection. If you try it, you'll see that you'll get a better response to your answer. Not that you asked my opinion.

And to everyone;
If you get an objection that has any hint of anger, or the customer had a bad experience...you really need to let them vent, before you start answering their objection. If they are angry (not at you), and you answer their objection...they are still angry while you are talking. They won't hear you. Seriously, this is a major reason most answers to objections don't work. Because you didn't bridge the gap between "Grrr I have experienced pain in the past, and you are reminding me of it" and "Here is my slick bear trap close."

This is very very hard to teach. But it's the bridge from objection to solution.

It really helped my selling what I had this AHA moment. And it came late in life. I'm hoping we can shorten this curve a little for some.


Someone gave; "I have to talk to my wife/husband" a shot, but it's an objection I get (only on the phone) kind of regularly.

The only real objection I get often is "I need to think about it" or a variation of that.
I really can't blame them, I am asking for thousands of dollars. And I have a few answers. But I'd like to see what you guys do with it. It's a very common objection. vndnbrgj gave an answer, but it wasn't fleshed out. (By the way, it's part of what I say too)

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

kenmichaels

===============================================
I have a solution for that, that works, how ever i don't
really suggest using it. While it does get the sale most of the time
it often leads to a charge back ... or buyers remorse.
===============================================

OK bob that's fair, I am a big family guy myself so i understand,
i have been married 14 years how long have you been married?

(bob) 10 years

(me) that's awesome, good for you.

Real quick bob, before i let you go, let me ask you a question.

You guys got married because you love and trust each other .. right ?

(bob ) of course.

( me ) ok so what your saying is, and correct me if i am wrong bob
your saying that your wife expects you to make decisions that will
help the business, and ultimately your family .... right?

( bob ) uh ... yeah

Now that we have that out of the way, what is it you really need to talk to your wife about

Is it the money?

( bob ) yeah

ok, so do you need to ask if you have the money or if you can spend the money

( they ALWAYS SAY ... "DO I HAVE IT" ... ALWAYS )

( me ) so bob your saying if it was only 5.00, you would not need to talk to your wife
is that correct?

( bob ) yes

( me ) great

--- now your at the money... close em

=========================

again, i really suggest not to use that. It WILL get you the sale
but there is a real good chance, the wife is going to get pissed
and tell him to get his money back.

I have a few others that work also, but like Claude said
just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.

=========================
.



Bob, if you really need to think about it, then i must not be
doing my job properly, what part is it you need to think about?

- In my experience, that question usually only comes
up when you haven't been getting them to commit properly
through the pitch.

More often then not, its about money

mnall01

I fully understood what the rules were and what the point of this thread is. I was merely trying to add to the dialogue and to recognize the power of the strategy that ewenmack was employing. People new to sales may not understand how important this technique is. I was only trying to expand on that a little bit. I'm sorry that you didn't find any value in it. Brutal

Mwind076

If YOU'RE learning something, then don't worry about others that are uptight

Looking for answers on how to SUCCESSFULLY market your marketing?
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Visit us HERE for more information on Reaching Your Customers!

Claude Whitacre

"I want to think about it".

You & Reardon may be on the same page with this one.. I did the Tom Hopkins "Just to clarify my thinking, what do you need to think about is it the ...(followed by questions leading them to) Is it the money?" also.

It works. I used it for years and it worked like a charm. Maybe 40% of the time I would get a sale after this objection (assuming the presentation was solid). But there is more involved after their response. Then, I would have to "Reduce it to the rediculious", and the whole sequence took some time.

Then, an old Encyclopedia salesman let me watch him in the home. He got that objection and got the sale. He only had one answer for every objection....and it was amazing. I memorized the close and it works as well and is faster than the Tom Hopkins close..

"I need to think about it".

Of course you do. And I don't work with just anyone. It's my decision too. I only want happy customers. I don't want customer that I have to badger to buy, or customers that have doubts. In fact, I only want to work with people that are so excited that they can't wait to get started. So the only question is, are you one of those people?"

This doesn't work except in about 35% of cases. But in those cases, it really snaps their brains to attention. And if they still whine, that means it's over.... and I can leave (or hang up).

Either way, I win. I just want to move forward or leave. (or hang up)

I was in a person's home once closing for three hours (I'm tenacious) The husband looks at me and says "We just need to think about it".
I said "I've been here for three hours. Think faster". I kid you not, they bought. I tried it about 5 more times with ..well....bad results. But I wanted to share that.

I still haven't heard a complete response to "I need to talk to my wife"
(Unless I missed it)

Added later: To Mwind076..Shorter horse..I just got it!

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

vndnbrgj

"I need to talk it over with my wife." (Or someone)

Not a problem. I understand.
Mr. Prospect, if I may, do you normally run all business decisions by your wife, spouse, business decisions, etc?

Does everyone I have said so far make sense to you?
Can you see how it can help your business achieve (insert business goals here)?

Rearden

"My wife said it's ok to sell you!"

(LOLs)

"Now, REALLY, what's causing you to hesitate in moving forward today -- remember, you CAN tell me 'no'!"

OBJECTION:

"You know, Rearden, God told me in my sleep last night that I should keep the pre-need funeral plan policy I already purchased. But I appreciate your help!"

(Yes -- this was a real objection I experienced after her existing agent visited once I qualifed her for my plan. Also, I would have saved her $160 a month -- and she was having trouble paying the water bill, too.).

How do you rebuttal God -- LOL.

ALSO -- I tend to think -- in terms of selling insurance -- that "I need to talk to my wife" is a CONDITION to doing business. IE, don't do one-leggers.

Now -- the tough objection is -- "I need to talk to my kids." If I hear that, rebuttal, and still say the same objection, I'll ask them -- "What's REALLY causing you to hesitate -- it's the price, right?"

And one last thing -- rebuttals almost never happen once you learn to pre-qualify and ask the tough questions up front. (Money, time horizon, If/Then Trial Close).

All that should be handled within the first 5 minutes.

Claude Whitacre

Vndnbrgj; I see the process, but could you continue? Maybe until the guy says "OK, Vndnbrgj...I submit to you". Seriously, you have great stuff, but I know there's more to it.

Added later; Reardon; Yeah, I tend to think of the "I need to ask my wife" as something I should have handled at the beginning too. But it's a very common objection.

When I was selling in people's homes, a middle aged man said "I need to ask my kids what they think". I said "I talked to them. They said you were old enough to have one too".
I said it with a twinkle, and he knew it was tongue in cheek, and of course we both laughed, and they bought. But I don't know how transferable the script is.

Good stuff.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

Claude Whitacre

I have an answer, but you guys may not like me afterward.

I had a young couple give me "We need to pray about it".

I said: "I understand. God tells us in many ways what he wants for us. This morning, when I got up I prayed and said "Please God, send me to the one family that will benefit the most from this, and will accept it as your gift". And you know what? Out of thousands of places He could have sent me. He sent me here. Of all the days I could have been here, He sent me here today. Don't you think God is trying to tell us something?"

They bought. An uneducated young couple, making little money, bought a vacuum cleaner that cost more than their car. It was the closest I came to turning the car around and telling them that they were making a mistake. I would never do it today.
And it was wrong (on many levels) then.

But it worked. And just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. The only reason I share it now is to show the structure of an answer.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

vndnbrgj

Spouse rebuttal continued...

Ok Claude, will you have time this week to run this by your wife?
Great, then I that if I don't hear from you by Friday, then that means you don't think we are a good fit.
Which is fine, and I wish nothing but the best for you and your business.

If I see tremendous potential, where I can make a good amount, I will say:
Ok Claude, will you have time this week to run this by your wife?
Well, I'll tell you what Claude. I don't do this for everyone, but I think I can really help your business.
So, what I am willing to do is create a proposal for you that will outline everything we discussed here today. Let's setup a time where all of us can sit down and go over it. When would work best?

All I ask is that after going over the proposal, you tell me yes or no.
Either one is okay with me.

kenmichaels

I know that as peoples sales chops improve they start doing all kinds
of crazy things ... just to see if they can, sometimes just because they can.

I am guilty of it ... big time.

But it is a funny circle.

You start off knowing nothing, and then try to learn and do everything.

When everything starts to click you feel like superman, so you start
trying and doing all kinds of things.

Eventually you find out, 90% of what you learned and practiced
for years... isn't even needed.

I don't know if that is just human nature or what, and i am not sure
why some people never make that final step.

I have colleagues that i still associate with 15 years or so
later, and most of them still sell ... the old way.

Sue Bruce

I love this answer. If more marketers would do this it's $$$ in the bank. When we're newbies we tend to say "Sure, what's your email address and are happy that we got that far. Take it further. Take it as far as you can go.

Sue

Sue Bruce

Just take a quick minute to look at Ken's rules. He wants us to ask a question at the end of our post. So we give an answer first and then ask a hypothetical question. Very simple but so informative from the info gathered in reply to the question.

Sue Bruce

Claude.

You know what? It really doesn't matter if their vacuum cost more than their car. I bought a Filter Queen years ago from a guy who sucked up nails with it on my living room carpet and it was one of the best investments I ever made. I had a neighbour bring over a Sears upright a few weeks ago to see if I wanted it and did a really good job of not laughing because I love that vacuum, even though it was more expensive than the car I was driving at the time.

P.S. So I'm willing to bet that couple still have that vacuum and love it and are now are driving a car that is worth more than the vacuum but are still telling people how great their vaccum cleaner is.

Claude Whitacre

Sue: Thank you, but that's not what I meant by "wrong".

They were one of the very few times I've sold, where I knew, in my gut, that I took advantage of them. It's not that the vacuum was a bad investment. It's that I used their beliefs against them for my own gains.
I took advantage of the weak.

This was 35 years ago or so. But I think about it every so often. And when I roll it over in my mind, I'm never the good guy. I just wanted to show the structure of a near perfect close.

I would never do that today. But then, I would never need to. This was "Old School" selling. And I was great at it. But, once you reach the level where selling is in your DNA, the techniques sort of vanish and are replaced by an unconscious ability to steer the direction and momentum of any conversation.

There are a few here that know exactly what I mean. The book Pitch Anything describes clearly that process. This is advanced Kung Fu.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote that greatness in any field takes about 10,000 hours of intelligent practice.
That's about right. That translates (for me) into about 10 years of sales presentations, studying what happened, reading books by true sales greats, testing new techniques, and keeping records of all the results. Yup. About ten years. And then I eventually threw most of it away. Once you have internalized why something works, the patterns inherent in any sales exchange, the techniques practically form themselves. This may sound a little "Airy Fairy" to some of you. But it's advanced science.

OK, I think I've beat that drum enough.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

Claude Whitacre

Ken; I don't think it's a circle. I think it's linear. I think that you don't need 90%, because it's now internal. It's just a thought and I could be wrong.

And about salespeople not making that final step?
I don't think they can. For example, I can't be a world class boxer or tennis player. Their training is now part of them. Their responses are reflexes. Not possible for most of us.

I think that the unconscious knowledge of the underlying principles of how things work...is wisdom.

And I wonder if it is "the final step". I'll bet somebody knows. It just isn't me.


Oh! A question; "After the economy killed our growth, we have cut out or delayed any new marketing"

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

Sue Bruce

Don't have experience in "wife" or "husband" questions except you shouldn't try to sell one without the other one present, especially a vacuum cleaner LOL

Here's one I had today. "Can you lower the price? We haven't been in business very long.

Claude Whitacre

Sue: I haven't had the "Ask my wife" problem for decades because I refused to talk to "one leggers". But that was selling in people's home. Now I sell in offices to CEOs and business owners.

I still sometimes forget to ask about partners, spouses, grown involved children. It my fault, but I keep forgetting that they may be a factor. I see CEO, and think that means CEO. Not always.

I do get the "Can you lower the price because; We just opened out business, our peak season is 6 months away, we just made a big order and it sucked up our cash, etc (fill in your favorite reason)"

"I want to be fair to you, but I also want to be fair to me. We can lower the price by reducing the service. What would you like to cut out?"
(They give me something to reduce their cost, or I recommend something to make myself the leader/hero...and we move ahead) OR (more often)
a variation of "I don't want to cut anything out, but we can't pay that much right now"

Me "So you're saying you are on a limited budget, and you would love to go ahead, but you're a little short right now?" Them "YES!"

Me (And I lower my voice like it's a secret) A lot of new clients are telling me that. I want to help you. And I want you to get everything you need. (I sit back & ponder a few seconds) Here's what I can do for you..." And I just change the terms. $699 a month for 9 months sounds a lot cheaper than $3,999 today. Some selling is theater.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

CleanMountainLiving

Love this thread. I don't really have any answers as I'm feeling my way through things.

Let some guy vent yesterday, but he didn't buy, but he sounded really thankful that I just listened. That was good for me to actually listen to the guy venting and be able to consciously know what was going on. A step ahead in my cold calling evolution.

I need to follow up better. I've made 117 calls this week (I know, not very many), but have 6-8 good leads. I really need to follow up better, and that's where today's focus is.

But, there is another objection I'm getting a ton lately...well, actually 2 - and I'm calling contractors...

1. We've got all the business we can handle, don't need any more...

2. We don't need to advertise, we don't do that kind of work, we only do bid work so don't need a website...

Thanks!

Claude Whitacre

I should clarify something (And I'm only speaking for myself here)
When I let the prospect vent, I don't let them completely wind down. I let them talk, and I show empathy, but when I sense that they are close to losing steam, I ask a question about something they said, that is steering them back to the point of the call. If you let them completely exhaust themselves, they lose interest.

You want to be a professional who is empathetic, not just a good listener.
The vast majority of people on this planet want someone to listen to them, but they also want direction. Think of when you talk to a doctor. They listen, they at least act like they care, but there is a purpose to it. After the listening serves its purpose (getting them to open up), now you need to direct them. And they are now far more likely to follow your lead, as a form of reciprocity, and you have shown you are looking out for their best interests.

But. I've never let them vent, and listened for (let's say 10 minutes), and then had them vent a second time....and close the sale. Once is enough. You aren't a punching bag.

There are people who just want a good listener, and are not even looking for solutions to their problems. Their pain is what the live for. Their complaining is all they are. If I see that in a prospect, I just move on.

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

farahR

Absolutely! And don't forget to ask her if she would like an extra $500 to spend on shoes and handbags next month! But seriously...(blah, blah blah).

*** Politically incorrect, but since I am a woman myself I can get away with it. Guaranteed to at least get a laugh! ;-) ***

MY QUESTION: "Why should I pay an extra $xx/month for hosting a mobile website? Why can't I just add it to my current hosting?"

Claude Whitacre

I don't think I can help you with the second question. It's out of my field, but I have heard this one. It's either a reflex way to say "Go away" or it really means they have all the business they need. Maybe their crew is really busy.

"Before I go, do you have some customers that are more profitable than others, some jobs that you would rather do?"

If they say "No", that's it. If they say "Yes"...

"If I could get you more of the most profitable jobs and less of the unprofitable jobs, would you like to know how?"

To be honest, this has only worked maybe one in 10 times. But it gets me past the reflex response they put out.

Question I get; "Can I pay you as a percentage of the increase in sales" (or some other "pay for results" question)

Do you sell online marketing or advertising to offline business owners? You can get a Kindle copy of my new book Selling Local Advertising... on Amazon. You can also just buy the book in print if you wish. Here is the link;
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Local-...laude+whitacre

dave147

ok, discuss it with your wife, and don't forget to show her
this (a great benefit)

and this (another great benefit)
and this (another great benefit)
and this (another great benefit)

and don't forget to show her the price, then I'm sure she will realize the value
in joining us.

What you're doing above is reminding the guy of some great reasons why he should sign up with you, and if he still needs to discuss it with his wife, he more than likely will point out the benefits of joining you



Question: Do you guarantee results?

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vndnbrgj

I haven't posted due to the fact these aren't relevant to me...
So I don't have a rebuttal.
Doesn't mean I forgot about you, I love this thread and the idea behind it.

Sure Mr. Prospect. After we get the foundation down, that is how we work the next steps.
Performance based. Where I only get paid when you do, but we need the foundation fin place first.

Yes and No Mr. Prospect.
While I can't guarantee a certain result, I can guarantee you will make your investment back and then some. If you don't, I will return to you what you have invested.
I stand behind everything I do Mr. Prospect, as I hope you do.

Ken_Caudill

Damn. There's a salesman in the room. Ewen knows how to turn an objection around and use the prospect's own information to sell her.

That's how you do it, folks.

Also, the good old quid pro quo qualifier works.

If I can show you that, Bobbette, is there any reason we can't do business today?

You sell by listening, not running your mouth. What the prospects says is golden. Anything you say is considered a lie.

Kudos, Ewen.

dave147

Whether it's a houdini move or not, you're still going to hear it, no matter how much you pre-qualify them as the decision maker, and sometimes it is the truth, sometimes it is the partner that makes the financial decisions. So even though you'd rather not hear it, when you do hear..."This all Sounds great, but i need to ask MY Wife" or my "partner" or my "marketing person" you need the best possible response to that response., because sometimes they are actually telling you the truth.

Get Your Ad Sent to 700,000 People RIGHT HERE
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Ken_Caudill

Two things:

1. Gee, Bob, I thought I was talking to the decision maker. You don't really think she'd be mad at you for making a sound business decision, do you?

2. I understand, Bob. When can the three of us meet? 2:00 this Friday OK?

Use the first if he's bullshitting you. Why let him off the hook so easily?

Use the second if you think he's telling you the truth.

tryinhere

Yes they may be telling the truth you are correct, as as mentioned when this happens you need to tighten your pre qualification and not be there doing the presentation or find out during the presentation and reschedule / not give details or numbers as it is pointless if a decision can not be made otherwise your just a giver of information and quotes and neither make money.

I deal with these calls each day so not making guess work, been doing this a long time and I have nothing to sell here and been stung many times by the my partner needs to check with this line by all and sundry, just giving out some tips thats all, take them or leave them. if you have this problem, pre qualify, re qualify or re book.

/ as Ken indicates below is very correct.

I spy with my little eye. (•)