Identifying Resistance

All customer resistance is not created equal, says Craig James, founder and principal of New York-based Sales Solutions. He’s identified four separate types of resistance – indifference, skepticism, objection based on misunderstanding, and objection based on a factual drawback – each of which is addressed in a slightly different manner.

The first type of resistance encountered in the selling cycle is indifference: Prospects don’t really care about you or your product, so you must convince them to invest their time listening to you. “In my opinion, indifference is the toughest form of resistance because the prospect isn’t engaged,” says James. He suggests first greeting indifference with acknowledgement, showing you understand their hesitancy.

Next, James recommends making a bridge statement to connect to your pitch, such as, “Many people I speak with initially say the same thing. But when I demonstrate how I can save their company hundreds of thousands of dollars, they find the time investment worthwhile.” Typically these two steps are sufficient to get your foot in the door.

Dealing with all types of resistance begins with the same initial step – acknowledgement of the prospect’s resistance. After acknowledgement, though, each type of resistance requires different handling:

Skepticism. You can’t counter doubt until you know where it’s coming from, says James. After acknowledging skepticism, ask the prospect to share where their doubt originates. They might say, “I’ve been in this business 25 years and have never seen a software upgrade take less than three months.” After they’ve stated their belief, it’s up to you to provide proof of your position. But, says James, different people require different types of proof, so ask your customer what it would take to change their mind – “Ms. Customer, if I could show you testimonial letters from five companies in your industry whose upgrades were completed in under three months, would that address your concerns?” Once you get their confirmation, provide the proof required and follow up to ensure you’ve resolved their doubt.

An objection based on a misunderstanding arises when a prospect holds a false belief about your company or product – for instance, you’re twice as expensive as the competition. After acknowledging their beliefs, James suggests asking, “What makes you think this is the case?” Once they’ve shared the source of their (mis)information, you can again ask what proof is necessary to change their mind. Once you know what’s needed, you have the pathway to overcoming their objections and moving forward.

The final form of resistance – objection based on a factual drawback – again begins with acknowledgment. In this case, though, you next want to move the customer away from your product’s drawback, whether it be price, a missing feature, or some other element. James recommends uncovering the underlying goal of the buyer. “You’re refocusing a prospect away from a feature to the larger benefit he or she is after,” he explains. “Listen to the customer’s big picture and try to meet the needs that way.”

Resistance, says James, should be welcomed, not discouraged. “It indicates they’re engaged,” he explains. “If they weren’t engaged, they’d just walk away.”

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