Kettle logic is when contradictory statements are used to win an argument. Freud used this example in his writings:
A man is accused by his neighbor of returning a kettle in damaged condition. The man offers three arguments as to why:
- He had returned the kettle undamaged.
- It was already damaged when he borrowed it.
- He had never borrowed it in the first place.
It’s obvious that the culprit is lying about at least one of these statements (he may even be lying about all of them).
It’s the same with a prospect giving “smokescreen” objections during the closing part of a sales call.
At the end of a sales call, you ask your client to sign the contract and you get an objection:
“I really want to sign this, but I just can’t because it’s not in our budget.”
You remind the prospect about the return-on-investment that you discussed together earlier. “The program will pay for itself, remember?” The client seems satisfied with this response.
But then they give you another objection …
“I just can’t sign this because I need to talk to my partner first.”
Well, which one is it? Do they not have a budget? Or, do they have to talk to their partner first?
A prospect will use kettle logic like this when they’re nervous, scared, or just unsure. When this happens, the best thing to do as a salesperson is to switch gears, from logical to emotional.
Because dismantling the logic part of kettle logic does nothing to get you closer to what the prospect really needs to talk about. Instead, it will force the prospect to clam up.
Take some of the pressure off and ask a broad question that invites the prospect to start speaking freely.
“I get it, Bob. Let’s take a step back. How do you feel about the deal in general?”
If you’ve built rapport and trust early on, then the prospect will open up and tell you the real objection. Sometimes there isn’t one. If they really trust you, they’ll admit they’re just a little scared or unsure. Then you need to dig in.
“That makes sense, Bob. A lot of my customers have felt the same way. What part do you think you’re most scared/unsure about?”
Once you get down to the root of the real objection, then you can start reselling value there.
You won’t win every sale. And sometimes the prospect just needs some time to think. The key here is that you don’t take objections at face-value when they’re really just smokescreens to mask a deeper objection (that may end up being an emotional objection like fear or uncertainty).