When a prospect says, “No”, in response to a closing question, some breeders stop trying to convert that inquiry call to a farm visit or that visit into a sale. However, if you handle a prospect objection well, you can significantly increase your chances of turning that prospect into a customer. When you are trying to increase your sales, this approach to handling objections can make a huge difference in your conversion ratios.
Wassom’s Triple A Formula for Handling Objections
Acknowledge the objection with empathy. Make a brief statement to let your prospect know you heard him or her. Start with phrases such as, I can understand, or I can appreciate. For example, when your prospect says, “I need to talk with my husband,” you can say, “I can appreciate how important it is to discuss this with your husband before you begin making farm visits.” This decreases anxiety and helps the prospect realize you understand her perspective.
Address the objection with benefits. Use your experience and expertise to make recommendations to the prospect, remembering to tell her what she and her husband will get versus simply what you offer. Keep your statements relative to the objection expressed. For the example above, you might continue with, “Let me send you some information to share with your husband. On it, I will highlight important considerations for the two of you to discuss based on our conversation today. Will this be helpful to you?” Asking that final trial closing question, “Will this be helpful to you?” does two things. It gains the prospect’s agreement to keep your farm and alpacas in the running, and it positions you as a helpful resource in this purchasing decision. Both are desirable in this buying process.
Ask for the commitment or permission to follow-up. Always complete this dialogue with a question that either converts this prospect on the spot or sets up an opportunity to reconnect with her to do so. To execute this step of the Triple A Formula for the example above, you could say, “How about if I give you a call on Friday to answer whatever questions come up in your discussion and to schedule a time for both you and your husband to visit our ranch? What is the best time to call you?” Important here is that you ASK, not just tell, and that you follow-up with a call when you said you would. During that call, you answer questions and, depending upon where the prospect is in the sales pipeline, ask to schedule the ranch visit, ask for the sales decision, or ask for permission to initiate follow-up to help them make a wise purchase.
Practice using this three-step Triple A Formula to answer other objections you get from inquiry callers and farm visitors. You will be amazed at not only how easily your prospects respond to this approach, but how effective it can be at converting those prospects to customers.
Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com
Julie Wassom’s Alpaca Marketing Wisdom 