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15 Effective Responses to A Prospect Who Chooses Your Competitor
HubSpot Sales Blog
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“Figure out if your prospect truly has an existing vendor relationship or is simply not interested” When is a good time to schedule a follow-up call?" According to Bryan Gonzalez, business development manager at Procore, this response will give you the opportunity to prove what your product does differently -- and ultimately, show the prospect why they need it. 3. "Got it. Can I ask what type of evaluation process you go through to be sure you're getting the best service available?" As president of Business By Phone Art Sobczak explains, you need to plant doubt in the prospect's mind before they'll ever consider changing vendors. They probably haven't thought about their decision to use the competition since they signed the contract -- this question will have them wondering whether it's still the right choice. 4. "Have they ever let you down?" Founder of Trigger Event Selling Craig Elias recommends using this question to challenge the prospect's status quo. If the prospect says yes, follow up with, "How did that impact your business?" Finally, ask what the vendor did (if anything) to make up for the issue and prevent it from happening again. "Once you know more about the letdown, you can ask if they would like to work with a more reliable vendor they can have confidence in," Elias writes. 5. "That's great. What do you like best about working with [competition]?" Asking the prospect to think about all the reasons they love the competition probably seems like a bad idea. But sales strategist Dan Fisher says this question actually prompts his prospects to explain what they didn't like about their vendors. The trick? You have to be patient. "No matter what they say in response, wait seven to 10 seconds," Fisher says. "The silence will become uncomfortable -- and that's when the prospect will often offer up a negative comment or concern." 6. "I'm glad you're [dealing with X challenge, recognize the importance of doing Y]. How's it going?" The first part of this answer validates the prospect, while the second gets them to open up.
“Keep them engaged in the conversation long enough to show them the value of working with you (even if they've already purchased a competing solution)” When is a good time to schedule a follow-up call?" According to Bryan Gonzalez, business development manager at Procore, this response will give you the opportunity to prove what your product does differently -- and ultimately, show the prospect why they need it. 3. "Got it. Can I ask what type of evaluation process you go through to be sure you're getting the best service available?" As president of Business By Phone Art Sobczak explains, you need to plant doubt in the prospect's mind before they'll ever consider changing vendors. They probably haven't thought about their decision to use the competition since they signed the contract -- this question will have them wondering whether it's still the right choice. 4. "Have they ever let you down?" Founder of Trigger Event Selling Craig Elias recommends using this question to challenge the prospect's status quo. If the prospect says yes, follow up with, "How did that impact your business?" Finally, ask what the vendor did (if anything) to make up for the issue and prevent it from happening again. "Once you know more about the letdown, you can ask if they would like to work with a more reliable vendor they can have confidence in," Elias writes. 5. "That's great. What do you like best about working with [competition]?" Asking the prospect to think about all the reasons they love the competition probably seems like a bad idea. But sales strategist Dan Fisher says this question actually prompts his prospects to explain what they didn't like about their vendors. The trick? You have to be patient. "No matter what they say in response, wait seven to 10 seconds," Fisher says. "The silence will become uncomfortable -- and that's when the prospect will often offer up a negative comment or concern." 6. "I'm glad you're [dealing with X challenge, recognize the importance of doing Y]. How's it going?" The first part of this answer validates the prospect, while the second gets them to open up.
“The following responses will help you effectively overcome the competition objection so you can move forward with the sale -- or appropriately respond while keeping the door open if they end up choosing the competitor over your product.” When is a good time to schedule a follow-up call?" According to Bryan Gonzalez, business development manager at Procore, this response will give you the opportunity to prove what your product does differently -- and ultimately, show the prospect why they need it. 3. "Got it. Can I ask what type of evaluation process you go through to be sure you're getting the best service available?" As president of Business By Phone Art Sobczak explains, you need to plant doubt in the prospect's mind before they'll ever consider changing vendors. They probably haven't thought about their decision to use the competition since they signed the contract -- this question will have them wondering whether it's still the right choice. 4. "Have they ever let you down?" Founder of Trigger Event Selling Craig Elias recommends using this question to challenge the prospect's status quo. If the prospect says yes, follow up with, "How did that impact your business?" Finally, ask what the vendor did (if anything) to make up for the issue and prevent it from happening again. "Once you know more about the letdown, you can ask if they would like to work with a more reliable vendor they can have confidence in," Elias writes. 5. "That's great. What do you like best about working with [competition]?" Asking the prospect to think about all the reasons they love the competition probably seems like a bad idea. But sales strategist Dan Fisher says this question actually prompts his prospects to explain what they didn't like about their vendors. The trick? You have to be patient. "No matter what they say in response, wait seven to 10 seconds," Fisher says. "The silence will become uncomfortable -- and that's when the prospect will often offer up a negative comment or concern." 6. "I'm glad you're [dealing with X challenge, recognize the importance of doing Y]. How's it going?" The first part of this answer validates the prospect, while the second gets them to open up.
“Figure out if your prospect truly has an existing vendor relationship or is simply not interested” When is a good time to schedule a follow-up call?" According to Bryan Gonzalez, business development manager at Procore, this response will give you the opportunity to prove what your product does differently -- and ultimately, show the prospect why they need it. 3. "Got it. Can I ask what type of evaluation process you go through to be sure you're getting the best service available?" As president of Business By Phone Art Sobczak explains, you need to plant doubt in the prospect's mind before they'll ever consider changing vendors. They probably haven't thought about their decision to use the competition since they signed the contract -- this question will have them wondering whether it's still the right choice. 4. "Have they ever let you down?" Founder of Trigger Event Selling Craig Elias recommends using this question to challenge the prospect's status quo. If the prospect says yes, follow up with, "How did that impact your business?" Finally, ask what the vendor did (if anything) to make up for the issue and prevent it from happening again. "Once you know more about the letdown, you can ask if they would like to work with a more reliable vendor they can have confidence in," Elias writes. 5. "That's great. What do you like best about working with [competition]?" Asking the prospect to think about all the reasons they love the competition probably seems like a bad idea. But sales strategist Dan Fisher says this question actually prompts his prospects to explain what they didn't like about their vendors. The trick? You have to be patient. "No matter what they say in response, wait seven to 10 seconds," Fisher says. "The silence will become uncomfortable -- and that's when the prospect will often offer up a negative comment or concern." 6. "I'm glad you're [dealing with X challenge, recognize the importance of doing Y]. How's it going?" The first part of this answer validates the prospect, while the second gets them to open up.
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