Let’s talk objections… again… but this time let’s pair them down and look at “objections” a little differently.
Explanation: It’s not you, it’s me… I’m focusing on me right now… I’m just too busy; it’s not fair to you… I just need some space… We’ve grown apart…
Translation: It’s totally you, and you’re not worth it!
Elaboration: If you were better looking; understanding of my busy schedule; gave me adequate space to do what I want to do; took a vested interest in the things that I love, and fulfilled all my fantasies; then you’d be worth it.
Complication: The value gap is too big. “But we can still hang out right?” #friendzoned
Every. Objection. Ever.
Seriously, the more we think about it, and we think about it a lot, every objection comes down to value. You hear it all the time, the BIG THREE OBJECTIONS, money, time and spouse.
What if they aren’t that different from each other, or from any other objection?
Look at it this way.
Money? Easy. “You’re simply not worth what you’re charging.” (Also known as I don’t believe you and, by the way, “I can’t afford it” counts.) “You’re not worth giving up Game of Thrones and Desperate Housewives of Atlanta.” “You’re not even worth the minor inconvenience of making my coffee at home.” You’re not worth the sacrifice.
Time? “Nope, not giving up an hour on my Saturday. That’s when I sleep in.” “Ugh, there’s no way I’m changing my work schedule for you.” “Nah, the drive is 25 minutes one way. I’ll lose two hours of my day.” “I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON, and evening is family time, so…” You’re not worth my time.
Spouse? “Are you kidding? Another fight with my husband about a gym membership he’s already convinced I won’t use… just like the last one I didn’t use?” “This is so much information, I don’t want to take the time to explain it to my wife.” You’re not worth the hassle.
Bottom line…
Are. You. Worth it?
Of course you are! But how do we communicate this?
#1 Self-Awareness. Know what each one of these objections means. What they TRULY mean. Take a second to ask yourself, what’s worth the hassle in my life? What is so important that I MUST make it happen? More specifically, why is it important to me? Good communication and mastery of sales always begins with self. When you can identify YOUR why, it becomes easier to identify theirs. Once you’ve got their why, STAY ON IT. No one cares about how the effects of fat and protein on glycemic responses in nondiabetic humans vary with waist circumference, fasting plasma insulin, and dietary fiber intake… check the educator at the door, and for now, just be the counselor.
#2 Use Preemptive Language. Call the play before it happens. Framed questions (keeping the responses limited or within the parameters you set) work best. This is where we try to get all the cards on the table ahead of time, giving us the information we need to establish value accurately and efficiently, proving that we ARE worth the time, the money, and the hassle. For example:
“What kind of training have you invested in before? What did you like about it? If you could have changed one thing, what would it have been?” (Discovering how they see value.)
“Constant support is integral to your success, who’s your biggest supporter at home?” (Discovering if they have support.)
“How many days a week do you see yourself coming into the gym?” (Discovering how they value their time, and getting them to “see” themselves.)
#3 Pay Attention. Listen to understand, not to reply. Don’t get me wrong, scripts are important. Engineering the conversation to go in the direction you want, by planning ahead, is paramount. Here’s what most people miss. Scripts are about freedom, not restriction. Look at it like training for an obstacle course race. We don’t know all the obstacles, we don’t know the minute details of the trail, but it doesn’t really matter. We’ve trained to be strong, agile, safe, and tenacious. That’s our script. And because our script is in place, we can improvise, adapt, and overcome. The script allows us to listen freely, take in all the data, and engineer a response IN THE MOMENT, based on our scripting and training.
If you don’t want to get #friendzoned at the sales table, MIND THE (VALUE) GAP, be worth it, ask the right questions, pay attention, and stay on target!