The Holy Grail Part III: Objections, Objections, Objections

In you’re in sales (we ALL are), at some point, sooner rather than later you’re going to come up against objections. In my opinion, most objections are a buying signal and show that the prospect is interested in your ‘offering’.

Here’s some that came up whilst selling DreamStart and how we ‘overcame’ them’. Again, this was in the context of a conversation with a pre-selected prospect with whom we had spoke/met with previously in the process of offering them the opportunity to get involved with the Conference via sponsorship and or exhibiting:

“No budget.”
If you had the budget, would you be interested?
(Will determine if the budget is the main objection) If answers ‘No’, find out why they are not interested by re-questioning.

Do you mean no budget this month/quarter/year?
(Find out when what time frames you are looking at)

When does your new budget come into play?
(Can then plan in a way of invoicing when the budget is in force and thus can get a decision)

Discuss price, if the price is good then we can do business and invoice later (30 days etc.) when their budget comes in/starts.

“We have a sales team.”
How many sales people can get infront of hundreds of receptive decision-makers in one day? I know I can’t!

The attendees are all receptive because they have paid to attend this event with the intention of improving their business through Michael Gerber and using suppliers whom they feel have the same ethos as them and this will give your sales team loads of really hot, qualified leads to follow up.

“We’ve exhibited before and it’s not worked.”
Where have you exhibited before?

Why did you exhibit there?
(Find out what their buying motives are – price, audience, size of event, location)

As previous, find out where and link our USP’s to their weaknesses.

“As you know, the success of exhibiting is based on where you exhibit and more importantly, who you exhibit to (the audience).”
This event is solely by invite only MD’s and Company Directors.

“We rely solely on word-of-mouth for new business.”
Word of mouth is the best and worst from of marketing, as you know. By investing a relatively small sum in DreamStart you will increase you word of mouth immensely via the hundreds of delegates in attendance.

“We advertise.”

Who are you advertising with at present?
(Newspapers, local press, trade magazines)

Can I ask why you use them?
(Find out what their buying motives are – price, audience, distribution, frequency)

What are you paying at present and what are you getting for your money?
Can then highlight our USP’s with regard to who they are using at present and show our strengths over the other marketing vehicle’s weaknesses.

For example, if they are using a newspaper we can’t touch local press for readership, but for example 0.01% of the press readers will be their target market – 100% of our attendees are their target market.

“Exhibition is not for me.”
What part of the exhibition is not for you?
•    Theme?
•    Audience?
•    Location?

With this we can find out the core of the objection and overcome it.

“Theme”
If they are not interested in the theme of improving business models and ultimately profits then you have not unearthed the root of the objection as all businesses are interested in improvement.

What part of the theme doesn’t interest you?

“Audience.”
If their business is not selling to DM’s then you are dealing with someone who we cannot help!

What audience do you specifically sell to? We have seen that in SME’s the MD tends to be jack-of-all and master-of-none, hence their attendance at DreamStart.

“Location”
DreamStart ’08 is to be held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, within the Armouries and the newly purpose built Saviles Hall. The Royal Armouries holds over 500 events per year welcomes around 100,000 corporate clients annually. In addition to their existing in-house award winning catering, on the door-step 130 hotel bedrooms with a further 650+ bedrooms within 5 minutes walk, and a purpose built multi-storey car park, Royal Armouries really is the only place for DreamStart. So perfect, that due to demand in Yorkshire, DreamStart has been moved from the originally planned venue of Excel in London.

“Content.”
Which company cannot be interested in content that will improve their processes across the whole of their business delivered by recognised experts.

“Happy with our level of business.”
Nobody is ever happy with their level of business. No business can say that they would not like to be makin more profit.

Every business wants to grow, from Microsoft and Coca Cola to SME’s and ‘one-man-bands’. The whole theme of DreamStart is to flourish the attendees with tools to make their businesses more profitable and ultimately, to achieve their potential. By exhibiting within this and to our audience, this (more profit) will be the result for you.

Next post: Cardinal Rules.

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