I am fortunate to
be selling a great service that pays for itself through reduced
operating costs and increased revenue. Just what companies need,
especially in tough times like we are in. However, I still hear the “it
costs too much” objection with regularity.
The obvious observation is that I am not doing a good enough job of
illustrating the real value of the service. Else, everyone would be
flocking to me and lining up for a chance to buy. Right?!
Maybe, maybe not.
Like it or not, we, as sales people, have a bigger challenge to overcome.
Distrust.
Over the years too many sales people have taken advantage of the
faith and trust of their prospects and sold them something that either
didn’t live up to expectations, or wasn’t really suited to the
prospect’s needs. Overcoming the natural skepticism that prospects
show when presented with a positive message can be daunting.
A few ideas to help you build trust and win the sale, even for costly products in a tight economy:
1) Act in the customer’s best interest. Sure, you depend on the
commission for your livihood, but the prospect doesn’t care about that.
If a prospect thinks that you care more about the commission than their
happiness, you lose.
2) Give examples of other’s that shared the prospect’s concerns, and how happy they are now that they bought from you.
3) Rely on your references. You’ve done great work for your
customer’s, don’t be afraid to share your history of success with the
prospect. Customer’s telling the prospect that they are getting a great
value means WAY more than you saying it.
4) Agree on the key variables, then show the numbers that support
your case. It is hard for a prospect to argue with real numbers if they
have agreed on the intermediate steps of the calculations along the way.
5) If you believe in what you are selling, and that it really will
benefit the prospect, then be persistent and do not waver. Your
prospects will thank you once they become customers.
6) Saving the best for last… determine if the costs are a real
issue, or if the “it costs too much” objection was thrown at you
because it is easy. Sometimes prospects are so resistant to “being
sold” that they don’t really listen, and don’t really know the costs…
but they figure they can shut you up if they say they can’t afford it.
Be respectful, but sort this out. Otherwise, it will cost you lots of
sales that would have helped the prospect and you.
How do you overcome the “it costs too much” objection?
Jeff Cress: “The Sales Guy” is one of a kind.
Driven to succeed and fascinated by the sales process.
Always looking for a way to help people, and make an honest living… you know, the way sales should be done.
