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15 Effective Responses to A Prospect Who Chooses Your Competitor
HubSpot Sales Blog
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5 Ways to Respond When a Prospect Chooses a Competitor If the customer comes out and tells you that they've chosen your competitor and signed on the dotted line, you have a limited window where you can keep the relationship positive and keep the door open for future conversations. The customer likely doesn't want a lengthy conversation about why they should choose you at this point, so while you can use these responses and prompts as guidance, if the customer makes it clear they want to end the conversation, respect their boundaries to avoid burning a bridge. 1."I see. Do you have a contract with them?" If the prospect is locked into a contract and you truly believe switching is in their best interest, you have a couple options. Help them off-set the costs of breaking it early by giving them a discount or showing them the ROI of the switch. Alternatively, find out when their agreement expires, and let them know that you'll reach out again a month or two before that date. 2. "I see. What results are you getting?" There's always room for improvement. Once the buyer tells you the return they're currently seeing, you'll know what you're up against. Imagine your prospect says the recruiting service she's using reduces average cost-per-hire by 30%. You might respond, "Clients who have switched to our firm from your current one typically drive down their average CPH by a further 10%. Would that have a significant impact on your hiring budget?" If she says no, she's probably not the best fit anyway. Alternatively, you can offer your help in improving their existing strategy -- no strings attached. Say, "That's great. I have a few tips that have helped my customers get their CPH even lower. Would you be interested in setting up another call to hear them?" Once you've earned her trust and gratitude by helping her, she'll be far more receptive to your pitch. 3. "Ah, yes. We have a few clients who used to work with that vendor. “By asking whether their contract is up for renewal soon, you can gauge whether or not there's any reason for the conversation to continue.” At that point, you can use the first several responses on this list to see how they're finding working with a competitor -- and if they might be interested in switching. There's a silver lining to hearing the "we already use Competitor X" objection: It means that half your work is already done. After all, you don't have to educate your prospect on their problem -- you just need to show them why your product is the best fit. If you're looking for more objection-handling tips, check out this article on overcoming the dreaded, "It costs too much." Or try one of these customizable sales scripts for handling objections over the phone.
“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.
“Uncover weaknesses in their current offering or contract” 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.
“Uncover weaknesses in their current offering or contract” 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.