There’s no one right answer

If your dream clients are dissatisfied, your path to a sale is to help them better understand their needs. But what if your dream clients aren’t dissatisfied? Then your path is to help them become dissatisfied. Either of these two paths may lead to the opportunities you seek.

If a prospect voices an objection (or more precisely a concern) regarding a sale, your right answer might be to show him how to resolve his concern. But another right answer is to ask “What would you need to see in order for this concern to be resolved to your satisfaction?” And yet another right answer might be “Is this a show stopper?” Sometimes what sounds like an objection is actually just a conversation.

If your prospect asks you to lower your price, you may think that the only right answer is to offer a discount. That is an option (even it’s one I don’t like). It may lead to a deal, but it will be a less profitable deal that may jeopardize your results later. Another right answer is to push back against such a request and justify your price by restating the benefits of the investment you are recommending. Believe it or not, pushing back is just as likely to lead you to a deal as discounting. Sometimes prospects just want to be sure they’ve gotten your best offer.

Selling, like all human endeavor, is loaded with variables. As salespeople, we deal with different personalities, different biases, individual preferences, internal politics and, sometimes, a lot of emotional baggage.