Aligning with vs Overcoming Prospects' Demands

Hey crew, I wanted to share a small tidbit I've learned over the years of selling that's become one of the fundamentals to my style...

It's aligining with the prospect's intentions.

Most sales people will try to "overcome" objections by disproving them or showing them to be illogical.

Or put prospects "in their place" if they ever get too distracted.

But in reality, all this does is create separation between the prospect and you, which is more problematic than it may seem at the surface.

If you're the one who's achieved the result they want, or has the solution they need, then their certainty that they can achieve the same result or acquire the golden solution only INCREASES the more they feel like you're close with and aligned with them.

And, perhaps even more powerful, prospects won't disagree with themselves.

Someone, sometime in the past, told me "Your prospect's words are gospel, your words are garbage." I've never forgotten this, and it's shaped how I ask questions, pitch services, or respond to prospects' concerns/objections.

So how can we do this practically? How can we turn "objections" into buy-in, without the prospect realizing it?

1. I ask myself: What's the prospect's need behind the question/statement? What are they saying they need right now?

Maybe it's assurance ("Where's your guarantee?"), maybe it's efficiency ("Just get to the point"), maybe it's to know the price so they can make a smart decision ("Just tell me the price").

2. I ask myself: What's the most optimal way for me to help them get the thing they need?

For them to have assurance, they'd need to understand who's ultimately in control of the outcome (if you're selling coaching, for example, it's almost always the prospect who controls their success). For them to have an efficient conversation with me, I need to get clarity on only a few elements of their business so we talk about what relates to them (rather than going off on tangents). For me to tell them the price, I'd need to know what level of help they need.

3. Communicate that I understand their need, and rather than disagreeing with it, AGREE with it.

"Gotcha, I'm glad you asked that." Yeah, it can be as simple as that.

4. Communicate the BEST way to get them the thing they need.

I'm literally helping them get the very thing they asked for. I'm not evading it, I'm not disagreeing with it, and I'm not overcoming it. I'm saying, "In order for you to get the thing you want, here's what we'd need to do. Wanna do that?"

Most of my experience is selling oversold, commodotized high-ticket services to highly skeptical, cheap buyers (I learned sales by selling lead gen to realtors lol)... once I started finding ways to meet my prospects needs in the conversation rather than dismissing them, trust skyrocketed and so did my income.

If your sales process is truly the optimal process for prospects to make decisions, LEAN INTO IT.

When they tell you what they want...

...don't dismiss, evade, or try to "overcome" them.

...agree with them, and help them see that the best way to get it is to go through the sales process.

Hope it's helpful to someone ✌️ happy Sunday

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