Change is never easy to accomplish. Yet with so much emphasis being placed on consolidating suppliers, it’s often in the customer’s best interest to change vendors. Here are ideas to overcome objections to change that customers may foster. (They’re excerpted from Art Sobczak’s new book, “How to Sell More in Less Time with No Rejection.” To order a copy, contact Business By Phone at 402-895-9399.)

Don’t ask what they like about their vendor.
I’ve developed a new opinion on a sales technique that I’m sure I’ve suggested at some point over the past 16 years. It deals with asking the questions, “What do you like about your present vendor?” and “What would you change about your present vendor if you could?”

I suggest canning the first question and just using the second (or a variation of it). Why should we present — and encourage — the opportunity for prospects to sell themselves on how great their vendor is? Sure, you can rebut this reasoning with the logic that if they tell you what they like, you can respond with how you can deliver the same thing. But telling someone you can be trusted carries about the same perceived value as a politician’s promise.

I do, however, recommend the second question about what they’d ideally like. Use variations, such as:

What would you like to get that you don’t have now?

What is on your wish list?

What would you change about your present situation?

This way, you get them thinking about their pains and their unfilled wants, which if you can fill, will help accomplish your objective.

Become an alternate source.
Some prospects are so entrenched in the habit of buying from one particular company that they tune out any suggestion of switching, even if it means getting a better deal. Instead of butting heads and trying to get them to reconsider, approach the problem from another angle. Get them to consider you as an alternate source. For example, “Steve, I’m not asking you to quit buying from Dufus Supply. I’m just asking you to consider us as another source for some of the items we can save you money on. You’ll have the best of both worlds. How about it?”

Give them choices in response to resistance.
The only way to professionally answer objections is to get the other person talking about the reasons behind the resistance. One effective way is to offer them choices. For example . . .

Prospect: “We’re happy with our present supplier.”

Response: “I see. Is it that you’re locked in to a contract, or that you haven’t found a better value yet?” Or, “Is it the quality you’re getting there, or the service, that you like best?”

Prospect: “We’re not ready to do anything yet.”

Response: “Is it because something needs to happen before you buy, or you don’t see enough value in acting right away?”

Prospect: “We can get it cheaper elsewhere.”

Response: “Hmm. Is price your main concern, or are you also looking at service factors?”

You can’t answer resistance until you get them talking. Giving them choices allows them an easy way to voice their concerns. Even if they don’t pick one of your alternatives, you have something of substance to deal with.

What to say when they’re happy with their supplier.
Scott Hodges sells material handling products to manufacturers. His are the highest priced in the market, so he naturally faces resistance like, “We’re happy with who we’re using and have no problems whatsoever.” Scott’s response is to simply ask, “When you replace the existing product, why is it replaced?”

What a great question! Notice the psychology here: The question doesn’t address the reflex resistance response “we’re happy.” Instead, this question focuses on what Scott is really doing: solving problems. In doing so, he’s positioning the real value of his product. When the prospect answers by explaining that he replaces his pallet jacks when the cost of repairs become higher than the cost of a new unit, he can layer questions deeper to get the prospect thinking about those costs.

Ideally, the prospect begins realizing how even though the equipment had a cheaper price tag initially, the real costs pile up in terms of replacement parts, labor, out-of-service time and, ultimately, a shorter life span.

Art Sobczak helps salespeople use the phone to prospect, sell and manage accounts more successfully. Call (800) 326-7721 or reach him via e-mail at arts@businessbyphone.com.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 1999 issue of Progressive Distributor. Copyright 1999.

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