Neutralizing Initial Sales Resistance
Whenever you phone a prospect for the first time, you are
interrupting him
from something he is doing that he considers to be
more important than anything
you have to say. Everyone is busy. For this reason, you should always expect
initial
sales resistance, even if you are offering the very best product at the very
best price to the most qualified prospect in the world.
Here is a simple technique that you can use to neutralize sales resistance at the
very beginning. When the prospect says something like “Thanks for calling, but
I’m
not interested,” or “We’re not really in the market right now,” you shouldn’t
take it seriously. The prospect has no idea how good your product or service can
be for him and his company. His reaction is a knee-jerk,
automatic response to
any sales offer. Roll with this resistance, like a boxer rolls with a punch, and
come back with these words:
“That’s all right. Most people in your industry felt the same way when I first
called on them. But now they’ve
become our best customers, and they
recommend us to their friends.”
When the prospect hears these words, he immediately stops what he is doing
and starts paying attention.
He will almost invariably say, “Oh really? What is it
then?”
