Not one for sports metaphors, but this one is one I love and I was reminded of it watching TV recently. I tend to watch some older shows and the commercials are geared to older people. So when the hearing aid commercial came on, I didn’t really pay attention. Until Patrick Duffy made the comment that the majority of people who come in for a hearing test just have trouble with ear wax. Wait – what? As the commercial went on, I realized, they were employing the old, “your best defense is a good offense” strategy. If you say to someone who is older, “you should get your hearing checked”, it is symbolic of getting old and having to wear a hearing aid is often unthinkable. But, once a person does go and gets a hearing aid, they are very happy. So how do you overcome that objection? Head it off! Give the prospect a way to shut down their family and hang onto the idea that they don’t need one. Brilliant.
One of the trainers at my gym mentioned that he gets frustrated because women tend to get on him about not wanting to put on a lot of muscle. He was very indignant as it takes a lot of effort to look like him – it isn’t something that will happen overnight. We talked about leading with that. When you have a new client, talk about what their results could be or just ask the question up front – “if you are like most of my clients, you aren’t interested in building muscle in the ways I have. Is that a fair statement?”. Now they know he gets it and can appreciate the work he’s put in.
Review your sales process and think about what are the key objections you get from clients. If you put them out right up front and you start the conversation, you control it and can answer those objections. You will reframe the discussion and you show a clear understanding of your product.
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