How to overcome the biggest objection of all — and it’s not price

How to overcome the biggest objection of all? I’m not talking about price, I’m talking about incumbency. The ‘we’re fine with what we’ve got’ or what we’re doing as your customer swats you away, like an annoying little fly. To avoid the brush-off and get them engaged, there are specific phrases we need to use.

So, what can you do to get them to listen to you?

Why people brush you off

First, let’s talk about why people try to give you the brush off.

To start with, you are interrupting them. They were doing something and you have broken their flow. Not only is this annoying, it puts them immediately on the defensive because they don’t know why you’re calling. 

Another issue is that they have already made a decision about whatever it is you want to talk with them about. Afterall, they already have a supplier. 

That means they are relieved the decision has been made, at some time, by someone, to do business with their current supplier. They have moved on. They have a full plate of other, more pressing issues to think about. This one is in the ‘outbox’. It’s solved. It’s done. Sure, it might not be perfect, but at least it’s behind them. And here you are, coming along and trying to force it back into the ‘inbox’. No thank you! ‘If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?’

On top of that, the last time they had to make a decision might have been excruciating for them. They probably don’t have the energy to bother thinking about, let alone doing anything about changing things.

And even if they contemplate a change, they will be worried about two things:

Making the wrong choice. This might mean wasting money or time, or even worse, making them look like they don’t know what they’re doing; and

Having to break up with the incumbent with whom they might have a good relationship. It can be difficult to give bad news, so most of us would prefer not to.

So, that’s a little of the backwash you need to swim through in order to get this prospective customer to even listen to you.

It’s a happy day when your call comes at the perfect time, of course. Usually that’s when something has changed in their circumstances, like they’ve lost a client, there’s a change in leadership or it’s a new year and they have the motivation to do things differently.

It’s a happy day when this happens, but a rare one.

More commonly, inertia is going to answer your call, with a side serving of defensiveness.

How to get them to listen

How then to get through the barrier? How do you engage someone in those initial few seconds?

That’s what I asked ChatGPT. Here’s what was suggested: 

You: ‘Hello, my name is (Name) and I work with (Company). May I have a moment of your time to introduce myself and tell you a bit about our solution?’

 Customer: ‘Okay.’

Good one, ChatGPT!  Very funny. 

But seriously, here’s the more likely response when you cold call. It won’t be ‘okay’, you’ll be hearing, it is much more likely to be ‘no thanks!’

So to avoid being shut down, this is what you should say.

‘Hi (their first name), this is (Name) from (Company). Is this a bad time?’

Interestingly, most people will say ‘no’ to being asked ‘is this a bad time?’ Why? Because they are already on the phone. They’ve bothered to answer. 

If they do say ‘yes, it is a bad time’, then you can ask when would suit them.

To this they’ll probably inquire what it’s about, so be ready with an answer. More on that in a moment.

Unfortunately, instead of ‘is this a bad time?’,  the question most people ask is ‘is this a good time?’ The problem with this question is it is easy to say no to. Remember, you are interrupting them. They are doing something already, even if it’s watching YouTube. It’s very easy for them to generate reasons why now is not ideal. So is it a good time? No. 

Instead, when you ask ‘is this a bad time?’, well, there are worse times you could have called, so…probably not bad, no. 

By admitting it’s not a bad time, they have effectively agreed to hear what you have to say.

There’s something else you can say to improve your odds of them being receptive. The name drop.

The name drop

To further improve your odds they will listen in those first few seconds, bolster your initial introduction with a referral. Here’s an example.

‘Hi (their first name), this is (Name) from (Company). (Referrer’s name) suggested I give you a call. Is this a bad time?’

Who is this mysterious referrer? It could be the receptionist, ex colleague, client or a mutual LinkedIn contact. The closer the more esteemed the relationship, the better.

If they haven’t actually referred you, try this variation:

‘Hi (their first name), this is (Name) from (Company). I was thinking of (mutual acquaintance) so I thought I’d give you a call. Is this a bad time?

What is this concerning?

Now, if they say it is a bad time and ask what it’s concerning, what should you say?

‘(Referrer) suggested I call because…/(In thinking about (acquaintance) – and this might be completely off base – but I thought I’d give you a call because…’, for example;

• They thought you’d be interested in the approach we’re using to manage their inventory. It’s saved them a significant amount of time/money. 
• We’ll be in your area next week and are offering free appraisals. Would Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon be best for you?
• We offer a free benchmarking service that…
• I’ve just published some new research on…and I thought it would be of interest? What’s your best email and I can arrange to send it to you?

Your objective, as they rush you off the phone, is to get an ‘in’ so you can restart the conversation next time. Ideally, that’s time in the diary, but at the very least an email address or point of contact.

You’ll notice I used the ‘completely off base’ phrase in my response? 

This serves the role of diffusing tension. It makes you seem vulnerable and a little uncertain, and increases the odds they will reciprocate by saying (or thinking) ‘no, you’re actually not off base’.

How to open the conversation up

Now, let’s imagine you have gotten through the first few seconds. They’re listening. What should you say now?

We pick up the conversation when they’ve said it’s not a bad time.

You: ‘That’s great, (their name). What I was hoping to ask you was whether you’ve heard about/ are thinking about…(a problem/new regulation/new approach)?’

If they say yes, they’ll probably explain what they know or are doing about what you’ve raised. This is good because it gives you information, but it’s also dangerous, because it means they can start to shut the conversation down.

Them: ‘Yes. We already have a (plan/product/service/provider).’

Now is your time to ask what you really want to ask. 

You: ‘That’s great to hear, because what I really want to know is, and I know it’s a long shot, but if you had a magic wand and could change one thing about your current set-up, what would that be?’

Now pause. Be quiet and let them stumble around for an answer. 

Once they give you a sense of something that is unsatisfactory or frustrating about their current set-up, that’s your opening to share more about what a slightly different approach might look like.

Of course, if they respond to your question about whether they had heard about what you’re calling about with a ‘no’ or ‘um’, then that’s your opening to share how it might leave businesses like theirs exposed if they don’t do something about it.

As we’ve seen with the ‘we’re already sorted, thanks!’ objection, inertia is your enemy. Our role is to gently lower the customer’s defensive wall so that they are open to considering new ideas. By approaching it in an inquisitive, humble manner, we are more likely to engage their interest in hearing more.

Bri Williams runs People Patterns, a consultancy specialising in the application of behavioural economics to everyday business issues.