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"Do Your Credibility or Experience Get Questioned When Selling? Here's What To Do"

by Jason Kanigan
6 replies
I've seen this question a lot recently, so here are some answers.


Questions, comments? Write below, let me know!
  • Profile picture of the author benbro
    Hey Jason, great video. I've used the confidential rebuttal before and it works.

    Also, as a side note...Loving your Sales Judo course. So much of it is counter-intuitive and flies in the face of conventional wisdom. But then again, if everyone knew it stuff all sales ppl would be batting over 400 - all the time.

    Thanks for sharing!
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    "Everything you can imagine is real." – Pablo Picasso

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  • Profile picture of the author James English
    Surprisingly, I am RARELY actually asked to prove my credibility/show past work.

    However, two of the points you mentioned have worked well for me in the past: client confidentiality, and the fact that no two solutions are the exact same.

    I may have done some incredible work for a very well known brand, but do you think the CEO of a company like LEGO has time to speak to every potential client who wants a referral?

    When I am asked for referrals:

    "I have a confidentiality agreement with my past clients. They have happily provided me with testimonials of the work I have done with them, but they don't like to be contacted personally as it takes time away from their business"
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by Trent English View Post

      Surprisingly, I am RARELY actually asked to prove my credibility/show past work.

      However, two of the points you mentioned have worked well for me in the past when I am asked for referrals.

      "I have a confidentiality agreement with my past clients. They have happily provided me with testimonials of the work I have done with them, but they don't like to be contacted personally as it takes time away from their business"
      Your credibility doesn't get questioned because you don't have headtrash allowing or pushing that question to arise!

      Folks who are new carry a TON of headtrash into the meeting with them...and it's only natural that these fears should show up in real form via the questioning. They don't fully believe in themselves, and that immediately sings out to the prospect.
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      • Profile picture of the author TheBigBee
        This is really great stuff Jason. Ideal for the Warrior who is out building his / her confidence. It's also great for the Warrior who is a cold call grinder. It's tough to maintain a high level of enthusiasm over the course of a day, and if / when you get to a point where your credibility is questioned, or you are just getting started, Jason has shown you some stuff that flat out works!

        No offense Mr. Kanigan, I've learned a ton from you, you are one of the true value creators here and I feel like I probably owe you money. I am good at taking a warm call (inbound call), but you taught me how to pick up the phone and make an icy cold phone call. That "little unsure method" is PURE GOLD.

        With all that said, I consider this a "Plan B" option, and I would like to humbly share what has been working for me as a "Plan A" - as my credibility never gets questioned.

        Here's my version of "Plan A"

        • When All Else Fails - Enthusiasm Sells: I started off as a door to door sales guy after H.S. and learned that; "when all else fails, enthusiasm sells." My enthusiasm carried me until I knew what I was doing, then I could "turn it off and on." Same principles apply to B2B sales. Your enthusiasm for what you do, is interpreted as a love for what you do.... So, how can you LOVE what you do if you have never done it before? I'm not talking about shouting on the phone feigning unbridled joy. But with proper pacing and intonation you can control the frame. I also learned as a kid out of high school to pitch myself in the mirror. I have recently begun using Kanigans' opener methods and in doing so, I practice in the shower each night. I visualize each call. Clear intention.
        • We Make Decisions Based on Feelings: Case in point; WSO's. Most of us spend more on WSO's than we do at Barnes and Noble. If we were rational decision makers, we'd take in as much info as possible from a wide variety of sources and connect our own dots. But we don't. We are human. The sales copy loops us right in, and most of us make buying decisions we would regret. Stoke your prospects' emotions. If I am pitching "Google Plus Local" optimization, I'll ask something like; "can you see yourself in that 7 Box?" Or, "Imagine the amount of business your competitors are doing." You want to trigger visuals in their brain. Read "Pitch Anything" by Oren Klaff for an explanation of this in greater detail.
        • Demonstrate High Value: YOUR CREDIBILITY WILL ALMOST NEVER BE QUESTIONED, if you demonstrate high value right out the gate. What can you show them that they have never been shown before? What advice can you give them for free that they can implement the second you hang up or walk out the door. The next time you phone or stop by you can ask; "did you try out what I showed you?"
        • **Decline to Sell**: I put asterisks here because this can never work 100% of the time. But when you see an opening, go in for the kill. Example; I was called about my Video + Landing Page + My software widget service package and asked to help with SEO. I built up the value of the sale and was able to close it quicker because I simply told the prospect not to invest a nickel in SEO. I could have easily said sure, I can help, and then outsourced it to one of the more reputable overseas firms. However, I'll never sell anything to a client, I wouldn't buy myself. So, in this case, I simply recommended some books the prospect could buy to teach him or herself, so that at least if when the prospect does decide to invest, they will be able to "look over the contractors' shoulder" effectively. --- Ewen Mack's "Craigslist Ad Trick" also can be interpolated in the cold call as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author CSDesign
    Hey Jason, great video, as always! This was actually exactly what I needed to know for some calling I'm doing tomorrow and for a possible referral, I am new in the game and my portfolio is thin, as it always is when you get started. I've always loved your videos, and this is just another great bookmark on my browser!
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