One of the goals of tennis players is to serve the ball so perfectly that the opponent can\u2019t hit the ball back\u2014that\u2019s called an ace. Prospecting is very similar, in that you want to serve up a talk\/email track so compelling that your prospect must accept it and say yes to a meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But much like tennis, every serve can\u2019t be an ace; every prospecting pitch doesn\u2019t immediately land a net-new meeting. Tennis involves hitting the ball back and forth until you win the point, and prospecting is handling each objection until you win the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having listened to my clients make prospecting calls for the past 25 years, the objections from prospects really haven\u2019t changed. Here\u2019s a list of some I\u2019m sure you\u2019re currently hearing along with some helpful information and suggested responses (noted by italics).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m Not Interested<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When prospects tell you they\u2019re not interested, it\u2019s because you weren\u2019t interesting. If they or their competitors use your product or service and you present them with a clear, concise delivery of your opening script, they\u2019ll be interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet me be clearer. I help companies create profitability by identifying cost-reduction recommendations of your technology. I can\u2019t fix every aspect of your business expenses but when it comes to (issue\/problem), I\u2019m the answer. That\u2019s why I want to come in to show you exactly how it\u2019s worked successfully for (industry colleague) and can for you. How\u2019s Tuesday the 15th at 9:45?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I Already Have a Vendor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you bring another vendor into the mix, two things happen. One, your current vendor must address price or customer service to keep you as a client. Two, you may discover that we complement your technology and upcoming strategic initiatives including compliance and profitability, and we\u2019re able to lower your costs while providing your firm with more customized solutions. So either way, you win. I\u2019m committed to the opportunity of sharing this information with your firm and was hoping to meet at your offices Tuesday the 15th at 9:45 for a collaborative conversation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We Don\u2019t Make Decisions Here; They\u2019re Made by Headquarters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany of our customers have their HQ elsewhere and we\u2019ve found that much of the control is local, as it should be, for better response times and support. Does your corporate headquarters allow for local decision making?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Owner\/President\/CEO Isn\u2019t Interested in Changing How We Do Things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstandable, your firm already acquired technology, and evaluating new opportunities to drive compliance, security and profitability may not be on the table today.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can I ask at what time during your fiscal year does evaluating your technology become a priority?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure you\u2019d agree that it would benefit you to have my dealership come in, on my dime, and look at how you\u2019re accomplishing these tasks. We\u2019d also bring best practices and ideas about how other like-minded businesses are accomplishing their goals across the country. We could help you better deliver an argument with your current vendor to reduce pricing or provide better customer service.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may also find that what we\u2019re offering can complement what you\u2019re accomplishing and not change it, but improve it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How Expensive Is This Technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For this objection, I explain how the technology is scalable, and the cost depends on what functions they\u2019re looking for, which is why I offer a free analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve consistently found, with each of our clients, that the technology is not only inexpensive, but also creates profit, allowing you to continue to build your business. So more work is completed during the business day without having to add to your employee count.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t cost anything to have me come in and show you how your colleagues across the country and the state are accomplishing their goals. Let me at least do that for you, and if we decide to take this to the next step, that would be my pleasure.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re All Set With How We Do Things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is usually followed by the person hanging up, and I know it\u2019s because they weren\u2019t listening correctly. I don\u2019t take it personally, but I also don\u2019t call back and say \u201cI think we got disconnected\u201d because we both know that\u2019s not what happened. What I do is give it a week and then go after them by email, or I find an additional point person at the same company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We Already Have a Company We Work with<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pretty much every company already has some sort of technology in place, so what I say is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course you do, but I haven\u2019t yet sat down with a law firm that hasn\u2019t wanted to understand what best-practice, cost-effective technology innovations and recommendations their colleagues are using to drive security, compliance and profitability.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d like to provide and share the same with you. Would (appointment date about three weeks out) work for me to come in and share this with you?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re Very Busy\/We Can\u2019t Take People Away from Their Tasks to Perform This Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s understandable. I can do this assessment on my dime and time. What we can help you with is getting more work done during the business day without having to add to your employee count. The fact that you might not have the manpower to accomplish all your tasks may mean that your technology has to step up. That\u2019s what we do here at (your dealership name) and why I\u2019d like to come in and provide you with a free analysis.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We Already Have a Great Handle on That<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstood, but just as you spend all day providing (industry product\/service; for example, legal advice) to your clients, we spend all day, every day, finding new ways for (industry business; for example, law firms) to utilize technology so they can service more clients and understand what hundreds of other law firms are doing across the country to accomplish these goals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Having these choices in hand might also be a better fit. With that framework, let me bring some new ideas to the table and show you how you can get a great handle on them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You Should Just Email Our Owner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You should meet with whichever contact is made available to you and create your recommendations\u2014hopefully you uncover some cost savings. Then write to the owner via email:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn, I\u2019m writing because I\u2019ve uncovered a bleed in your technology spend. I had the pleasure of working with your GM Bill Edwards and conducted an assessment of your current technology on my dime. It takes into account compliance, administrative efficiencies and profitabilitly goals for the firm, and I\u2019ve uncovered cost reductions I could institute that will deliver (results of your efforts).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bill suggested I reach out to you and coordinate a time when I can present these findings to you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We Recently Purchased It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c(Prospect\u2019s name), I can\u2019t tell you how impressed I am when a company knows the purchase dates for their technology hardware. It\u2019s an important piece of technology infrastructure solutions, but not the only piece.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I\u2019d like to do is share how we can use the technology that\u2019s already been invested in by your firm and find ways for that investment to reproduce additional dividends. This happens through software, processes and service offerings. Let me show you what we can do with what you\u2019ve already paid for. which becomes an even bigger win for you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Please Send Me Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have marketing materials, but I\u2019ve found that it saves my clients a lot of time when I don\u2019t send it. Here\u2019s why: I\u2019ll send the information, then you\u2019ll open it, review it and may have a question. I\u2019ll call you back to schedule a meeting and when I arrive, you\u2019ll have to pull out the materials and remember your questions. We may be better served if I bring the materials with me, and if you have a question, I can answer it immediately. That\u2019s how we work\u2014when you have a problem, you get an immediate response and solution. So, how\u2019s Tuesday the 15th at 3:45?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, the best objection is no objection; by addressing common, repeated objections before they happen and putting them in your prospecting conversations, you\u2019ll have a better opportunity of winning the meeting. Here are a couple situations, using my company as an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We Already Have a Vendor\/We Already Have Somebody Taking Care of This<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn, I was calling to be of service to the church. My firm works with over 68 other churches here in Tennessee, and all of them had a technology partner providing copiers and printers. What they found by bringing in Kingston Technology Group is that we understand how churches are trying to:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what they want from the right technology partner, and for the past 25 years, that\u2019s been the Kingston Technology Group. I\u2019d welcome the opportunity to share what other cyber-focused, congregation-driven churches are doing to accomplish their technology goals while controlling costs. Would it be OK if I stopped by the church on Tuesday the 15th at 9:45?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We Recently Purchased a Copier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI saw on your website that one of your initiatives is using the best technology to produce each of the five types of surfboards you make at Johnson\u2019s Manufacturing. My firm currently supports 68 other manufacturers throughout Baltimore (cite examples), even if they have just acquired new business technology hardware<\/strong>, with:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern manufacturers know that the technology such as copiers are really the on-ramp to the digital highway. For the past 25 years, Kingston Technologies has ensured that manufacturers can drive that digital highway smoothly, so your information and data is always securely available.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s what competitive manufacturers are looking for in the right technology partnership. I\u2019m committed to the opportunity of sharing this with the plant, and wanted to know if Tuesday the 15th at 9:45 would be OK for me to stop by?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As noted earlier, prospecting and tennis have many similarities, including one person serving to the other. In our case, it\u2019s serving a prospecting pitch to land an opportunity to talk with a potential client. The volley back and forth is the real game of tennis, and the volley of handling objections sometimes even before they happen is the game of prospecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s great about prospecting is both people win. We win a new client opportunity, and the client wins the chance to learn how our selling solutions for managed IT, cybersecurity, managed print services, ECM, digital signage, production print, unified communications and technology hardware and software can help them accomplish their business and strategic initiatives more effectively. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the goals of tennis players is to serve the ball so perfectly that the opponent can\u2019t hit the ball back\u2014that\u2019s called an ace. Prospecting is very similar, in that you want to serve up a talk\/email track so compelling that your prospect must accept it and say yes to a meeting. But much like tennis, every serve can\u2019t be an ace; every prospecting pitch doesn\u2019t immediately land a net-new meeting. Tennis involves hitting the ball back and forth until you win the point, and prospecting is handling each objection until you win the meeting. Having listened to my clients make prospecting calls for the past 25 years, the objections from prospects really haven\u2019t changed. Here\u2019s a list of some I\u2019m sure you\u2019re currently hearing along with some helpful information and suggested responses (noted by italics). I\u2019m Not Interested When prospects tell you they\u2019re not interested, it\u2019s because you weren\u2019t interesting. If they or their competitors use your product or service and you present them with a clear, concise delivery of your opening script, they\u2019ll be interested. \u201cLet me be clearer. I help companies create profitability by identifying cost-reduction recommendations of your technology. I can\u2019t fix every aspect of your business expenses but when it comes to (issue\/problem), I\u2019m the answer. That\u2019s why I want to come in to show you exactly how it\u2019s worked successfully for (industry colleague) and can for you. How\u2019s Tuesday the 15th at 9:45?\u201d I Already Have a Vendor \u201cWhen you bring another vendor into the mix, two things happen. One, your current vendor must address price or customer service to keep you as a client. Two, you may discover that we complement your technology and upcoming strategic initiatives including compliance and profitability, and we\u2019re able to lower your costs while providing your firm with more customized solutions. So either way, you win. I\u2019m committed to the opportunity of sharing this information with your firm and was hoping to meet at your offices Tuesday the 15th at 9:45 for a collaborative conversation.\u201d We Don\u2019t Make Decisions Here; They\u2019re Made by Headquarters \u201cMany of our customers have their HQ elsewhere and we\u2019ve found that much of the control is local, as it should be, for better response times and support. Does your corporate headquarters allow for local decision making?\u201d The Owner\/President\/CEO Isn\u2019t Interested in Changing How We Do Things \u201cUnderstandable, your firm already acquired technology, and evaluating new opportunities to drive compliance, security and profitability may not be on the table today. Can I ask at what time during your fiscal year does evaluating your technology become a priority? I\u2019m sure you\u2019d agree that it would benefit you to have my dealership come in, on my dime, and look at how you\u2019re accomplishing these tasks. We\u2019d also bring best practices and ideas about how other like-minded businesses are accomplishing their goals across the country. We could help you better deliver an argument with your current vendor to reduce pricing or provide better customer service. You may also find that what we\u2019re offering can complement what you\u2019re accomplishing and not change it, but improve it.\u201d How Expensive Is This Technology? For this objection, I explain how the technology is scalable, and the cost depends on what functions they\u2019re looking for, which is why I offer a free analysis. \u201cWe\u2019ve consistently found, with each of our clients, that the technology is not only inexpensive, but also creates profit, allowing you to continue to build your business. So more work is completed during the business day without having to add to your employee count. It doesn\u2019t cost anything to have me come in and show you how your colleagues across the country and the state are accomplishing their goals. Let me at least do that for you, and if we decide to take this to the next step, that would be my pleasure.\u201d We\u2019re All Set With How We Do Things This is usually followed by the person hanging up, and I know it\u2019s because they weren\u2019t listening correctly. I don\u2019t take it personally, but I also don\u2019t call back and say \u201cI think we got disconnected\u201d because we both know that\u2019s not what happened. What I do is give it a week and then go after them by email, or I find an additional point person at the same company. We Already Have a Company We Work with Pretty much every company already has some sort of technology in place, so what I say is: \u201cOf course you do, but I haven\u2019t yet sat down with a law firm that hasn\u2019t wanted to understand what best-practice, cost-effective technology innovations and recommendations their colleagues are using to drive security, compliance and profitability. I\u2019d like to provide and share the same with you. Would (appointment date about three weeks out) work for me to come in and share this with you?\u201d We\u2019re Very Busy\/We Can\u2019t Take People Away from Their Tasks to Perform This Evaluation \u201cThat\u2019s understandable. I can do this assessment on my dime and time. What we can help you with is getting more work done during the business day without having to add to your employee count. The fact that you might not have the manpower to accomplish all your tasks may mean that your technology has to step up. That\u2019s what we do here at (your dealership name) and why I\u2019d like to come in and provide you with a free analysis.\u201d We Already Have a Great Handle on That \u201cUnderstood, but just as you spend all day providing (industry product\/service; for example, legal advice) to your clients, we spend all day, every day, finding new ways for (industry business; for example, law firms) to utilize technology so they can service more clients and understand what hundreds of other law firms are doing across the country to accomplish these goals. Having these choices in hand might also be a better fit. With that framework, let me bring some new ideas to the table and show […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1866],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57528"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57528"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57577,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57528\/revisions\/57577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}