10 Ways to Convince Doubting Prospects
Anyone who has worked in sales for any amount of time knows that buyers are naturally cynical. Buyers should be suspicious, to be sure. They are tasked with safeguarding the company’s interests, while you, the sales agent, are an unknown quantity. Here are several steps a salesperson may take to resolve skepticism and convert customers as soon as possible.
How to Convince Doubting Prospects
Show prospects case studies on how the company has assisted others in saving money and/or improving operations. The more relevant the case study topic (in terms of application and geographic location) is to your prospect, the better.
If your company has consumer feedback on its website or on third-party review sites, submit the links to your doubtful prospect as soon as possible. More compelling than any sales collateral is what happy customers have to say about your results.
Organize a tour of the facility for the prospect. This clearly identifies you as a “real” company, and it allows the prospect to meet other members of your team. When a prospect sees you have depth on the bench and knows some of the players, it boosts their morale and the overall relationship.
Organize a tour of a customer’s facility for the prospect. This is similar to integrating a case study and a facility tour into one. When a prospect sees firsthand how you have helped another organization achieve success, he or she will begin to believe in you. Believe in yourself.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. When salespeople make broad, grandiose statements that promise results that are too good to be true, they can engender suspicion. Even if such assertions are right, it is preferable to tone down the rhetoric and present reality, forecasts, and predictions in a moderated tone.
Buyers should test the waters with trial orders and on-site monitoring before committing to a large purchase. Trial orders and on-site trials are often avoided by businesses because they entail taking a risk and/or spending a significant amount of time. It’s a good investment, though, if a few hundred dollars opens the door to thousands of dollars in sales.
Examining warranties and promises naturally helps skeptics build the trust they need to make a purchase decision. The sales representative must strike a careful balance in explaining the warranties and/or guarantees without overemphasizing them. If warranties and assurances are the main focus of the sales pitch, the consumer can conclude, “This product must not be very good if the main selling point is that I can return it.”
Demonstrations and samples speak louder than words. Demonstrations are unquestionably the better choice of the two. You lose control of the sale when you leave or mail samples to a customer; you never know if or when the buyer will try the product. During a presentation, you can highlight main features and advantages while also gauging the buyer’s reaction.
Be thorough, straightforward, and fast. Sloppy detail control and evasiveness are two items that are likely to turn a skeptic off. When a prospect asks a question, respond simply, succinctly, and honestly — even if the response isn’t exactly what you think the buyer wants to hear. Furthermore, if the buyer requests that you follow up on five products, make sure you follow up on all five and do so promptly. During the sales process, efficient and fair job signals to the consumer that the success will be the same if he or she becomes a customer.
Patience is needed. Some skeptics can prolong the sales process by asking questions and assigning follow-up tasks purely to see how proactive you are (see point No. 9). As a result, patience pays off. While dealing with skeptics, salespeople’s natural instinct is to press harder. Skeptics, on the other hand, need to go at their own speed and dislike being hurried. Keep that in mind, and your closing rate with skeptics will skyrocket.
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