Let’s say you had a pitch last week. You didn’t close the deal on the call because the prospect gave you an objection that you couldn’t handle. So you were forced to set a follow-up appointment and hope for the best.
Now it’s time for the follow-up. The phone rings and the prospect picks up. You say hello and build some rapport, and then what?
Whatever you do, don’t remind the prospect of their objection. This gives the prospect an easy way out. Instead, ask for the sale again, as if you had never heard their objection in the first place.
If the prospect picked up the phone for the follow-up, this means they’re at least thinking about buying. Don’t put doubt back into their mind by bringing up their objection again.
For example, let’s say you got this objection: I need to talk to my partner first.
When you call for the follow up, DO NOT say, “Hey Bob, have you had a chance to talk to your partner yet?”
This is what I mean by “assuming the objection.” Don’t do it.
Because if Bob says “no,” then the follow-up is over before it’s even started.
Instead, after you’ve said hello and built rapport, say, “So Bob, I know last time we talked it seemed like you were pretty interested in our product. Are you ready to get everything going?”
Here’s why: your prospect will take the path of least resistance. If you feed them an objection, they’re going to use it.
Instead, if you ask for the sale again in an open-ended way, then there are three possibilities:
- They buy.
- They come up with a new objection.
- They repeat their objection from the last call.
And here’s what you can do in each situation:
- Great! Money in the bank.
- This might be a “smokescreen” objection. In other words, if a prospect keeps switching their objections, then they might not be real. There might be a deeper objection (or it could just be fear), so you need to dig in.
- This usually confirms that the objection is legitimate. You should come to the follow-up prepared to handle the objection if it does turn out to be real.
Don’t assume the objection. Ask for the sale in an open-ended way. Then take one of the three paths above based on how your prospect responds.