Prospects’ Objections to Your Proposition

Most prospects are suspicious of any offer and so will naturally think of objections, if only to give themselves time to think.

There is nothing wrong with time to think, so long as it results in a positive decision for mutual benefit.  Your objective in anticipating likely objections is you may be able to help the prospect’s  thinking.  This is an excellent way to show your competence as a coach.

It can be helpful to deal with as many objections as possible before you close.  At the point where you make an offer, simply ask if they have any questions.  This is where they can raise their concerns.  They may ask about your fees, which is usually a positive sign!

If your prices are realistic, the prospect may hesitate and raise objections like “I can’t afford it.”

I can’t afford it!

This is the most common and perhaps the hardest objection you will encounter.  My purpose here is to help you list likely objections.  So, remember many people, especially the British, don’t like to discuss money.  They may not always come straight out and say they simply can’t afford it.

Also, bear in mind, objections to money may be a means to buy time.  Your goal is to close at this meeting.  If you need to give people time, the chances are you won’t see them again.  If they need to consult their partner or an employer, give them a time limit and perhaps offer a small reduction if they respond before the deadline.

So, let’s assume you have received clear buying signals from your prospect and so need to close the deal.  They ask how much you charge and then they hesitate.

You are at step 5 on the awareness ladder and, if you have completed the other steps, the person is clearly interested in your offer.  Some people may have difficulty paying the full amount.  There may be various reasons for this but whatever they are, check out whether paying in instalments helps.

If someone really wants to invest in your coaching, the chances are they can find the money.  How they do this is their problem but they may need time to find it.  Again, instalments may help them marshal their funds.

Otherwise remind them of the benefits of investing in your offer and show why the benefits are worth more than their financial outlay.

Other Objections

Whilst price is often an objection, there are others you may wish to tackle.  This os the purpose of  step 4 of the awareness ladder.  You have someone with you, interested in your offer and possibly comparing it with others.  They may have questions and if you anticipate and answer to them in advance, you will have ready responses to hand.  You will also be used to thinking of responses to unexpected objections.

Here is a list I prepared from my experience with prospects, a couple of years ago.  These relate to my offer at that time, so use them to help plan the objections you list for your offer.

At the time I wrote this list, website design was my main offer.  These days I still offer to work on websites and spend a lot of time commenting on sites for my clients.  My current offer is a local marketing package.

Look for Patterns

Read your list and look for patterns.  Patterns might inform how you structure your marketing in the future.  For example, if you look at my list, some of the objections boil down to lack of time, whilst others are about values.

For the former I might talk about accountability and time management.  Many businesses fail because the owners don’t take time out to reflect on their business.  The time pressures they experience may in part be awareness they are not developing their business.

Values-centred businesses need help to understand the role money plays in their business.  It’s OK to make money because money keeps you going as a business.

Your aim is to rehearse a response for each objection in your list; building on what is already present in your marketing strategy.

If this post has been helpful, please tell me why and if there are any issues where you would welcome further information.