A group of prospects meeting with a sales representative at a Colorado steakhouse were all complaining that their steaks were overcooked. When the waiter came and asked whether everything was okay, all the people who had just been complaining said: “Sure, everything's fine.” As the waiter walked away, one said: “I wouldn't come back to this place again if you paid me.” How many times have you lied to a waiter or waitress and told them everything was okay when, in fact, the service or meal wasn't good? Remember that customers have two kinds of objections—the ones they tell you about and their real objections.
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Remember these questions: What can we do to earn your business? and What can we do to get your business back? When you put prospects in a position of helping rather than whining and complaining, they will be more likely tell you the truth instead of putting you off.
Ben was a loyal buyer from a warehouse distributor. One day, something went wrong and he stopped doing business with them. He went from being a customer back to being a prospect. When a new sales rep was assigned to call on Ben, he knew that getting the truth about what had happened could be difficult. When he sat across from Ben in the office, he asked one simple question: “What will it take to win back your business?” He put Ben in a situation where he could be positive and actually share what the distributor needed to do to get back in his good graces. Instead of allowing Ben to criticize his company, the sales rep allowed him to help find a solution.