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Get passed their guard...

by RazorSharpSamurai Banned
7 replies
How do you get pass through a prospect guard even if its people that you know? For example, when I offer a free demo website redesign they would tell me, "Oh yeah, I already have someone working on it." or "At the moment, we have some other prior engagements we are working on, but will keep you in mind.", etc...

I know sometimes they are honest and I can't do anything but sometimes I feel like they do have their guard up. I read something about this before, but I forget what to say to ease them down to open up. But then again, when they tell me these things its like saying, No!, I dont want anything to do with you! lol something like that.

Anyways, can someone give me some tips please? Thanks
#guard #offline #passed
  • Profile picture of the author tigerbait
    If it's someone you know, just do it - then show it to them. How hard can that be? You'll have the same end result, either they like it or they don't.
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    why would they want a website redesign?
    (how) do you/they know their current one isn't working as effectively as it should and why would your rework be any more effective, it may look nicer but....... would any web designer be pleased with the design of Google front page, and yet..........
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    Mike

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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Think about it this way.

    Can you provide value for them? Can you show them the value?

    It sounds too simply but that is really what it is. The problem with most sales people is they talk about what they want to talk about. It is about them not the person they are selling too.
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    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason_V
    Yet another person that has fallen into the trap that believing "telling is selling."

    Why are you so hell bent on focusing on what you want to offer, instead of having them agree to a solution you have which fixes their problem?

    Aaron touched on it above.

    Read my post here:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...-salesman.html

    Particularly #2

    (however the whole thing would be a good read for you)
    Signature
    "When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something."
    -Andy Warhol
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    • Profile picture of the author steelhead
      Jason,
      Excellent post about the crash course. Should have thought of that myself. Shows you are really trying to help. Think I will print your post and make it available to the humble soul to read before I let them in my office. Wouldn't that be a switch? "Here's your homework if you want to talk with me"

      Steely Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author PanteraIM
    Originally Posted by RazorSharpSamurai View Post

    How do you get pass through a prospect guard even if its people that you know? For example, when I offer a free demo website redesign they would tell me, "Oh yeah, I already have someone working on it." or "At the moment, we have some other prior engagements we are working on, but will keep you in mind.", etc...

    I know sometimes they are honest and I can't do anything but sometimes I feel like they do have their guard up. I read something about this before, but I forget what to say to ease them down to open up. But then again, when they tell me these things its like saying, No!, I dont want anything to do with you! lol something like that.

    Anyways, can someone give me some tips please? Thanks
    When you get that objection you need to go deeper to see if it's a dead end or an opportunity you can utilize.

    You build trust by listening and asking questions, as well as agreeing with what they've said and feeding their words back to them.

    You want to go with their resistance and redirect it instead of colliding against it.

    'I understand someone is working on your site, do you mind if I ask how far into the project you've gone with them?'

    'Have you paid a deposit yet?' is the question I usually ask afterwards.

    'If I could show you how we can give you a better deal would you be open to looking at it?

    I just need to ask you a few questions first.'

    Then go into identifying needs and listening for their hot buttons that will clinch the deal.

    'Do you mind if I ask why you haven't got around to doing this yet?'

    There's usually one thing stopping a person from buying as well as one benefit they will get from the product which will push them into action. Part of the game of asking questions is to uncover both of these and prempt the objection in advanced.

    When you get an objection you need to probe because if you judge on its' face value you are not getting the big picture.

    Why haven't they started their project?
    What is holding them back?
    What do you need to demonstrate to make a deal happen?

    All of these questions are uncovered by having a conversation with the prospect.
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    you cant hold no groove if you ain't got no pocket.

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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      I sold a mobile site yesterday.

      I had an appointment (set up last week) out of which he tried to back up (called me the day before our appointment to say it's probably pointless for us to meet.

      I said, Nah. Because I'll leave you with some information that will make it easier for you to understand how online marketing works, so that, when you're ready to move forward, hire someone, you'll know what questions to ask to see if they're the real thing or not. And it will work if it's yelp.com that's trying to sell you something or a social media specialist or some SEO outfit.

      So, we met and, to start the meeting, I said, 'You're losing clients. Lots of them." Then handed him 2 print outs of the number of exact searches from Google keyword tool for the top 5 keywords people use to find his type of business. One print out showed mobile searches, the other one desk tops.

      I, of course, highlighted the part that showed desktops and mobile. And told him that searchers move on within a couple seconds to the next website if the one they're trying to open doesn't load up or the info isn't there.

      He said, It makes sense. I didn't know there were so many mobile searches. But it makes sense.

      I, then told him how mobile sites load faster, that I rearrange the content so that his mobile site gives searchers what they want fast.

      He said, So, what's next?

      I told him my price and that we sign an agreement, he gives me money and I make him his site within 7 days.

      Price came up late in the conversation.

      PS We, then talked about his marketing in general and I did what I promised: as a result he's going to stop paying for yelp.com ads that have, in months, produced no sale (though yelp tells him things like: This month 54 visitors got to your site through your ads; remember you were getting only 7 or 8 before you were paying for ads). He's also firing his current SEO/lead gen people.

      PPS I shall be doing google maps, blogging, press releases and create some alliances with some businesses I work with that benefit him... No, we do not have a written agreement on those... I chose not to do it yet...

      Long answer to say: I lead him towards convincing himself there's value in what I proposed, showed him the price was much lower than the value, and he did all the selling.

      I cold him out of the blue because I'd notice his site was not mobile ready, that he had 2 locations, that he was on page 2 on Google for one location and pages 5 and higher for the other.
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