Rebuttals Are Solutions

Rebuttals Are Solutions
By Jeff Stone

Imagine this: You ask one of your buddies if he wants to go grab a bite  to eat and jam for a couple hours at a restaurant. Your buddy says “No. I don’t have any money.” You ask him if he would go if he had the money. He says, “Yes.” Then you say, “Great. I’ll buy.”

Do you feel that is argumentative? Do you feel like your buddy would be mad at you? Or were you just being a good friend and offering a solution to a problem?

The answer is the latter. All too often in sales, the salesperson (you in this case) feels like he’s being combative when he offers solutions to the client. It’s nothing of the sort. If you’ve done your job properly applying the 5 steps to overcome objections, then by the time you get to step four (overcome the objection), you’ve narrowed down the objection to be the only thing holding the client back.

COMMITTED
At that point, they’ve admitted that they really want to hire you, but this one thing is preventing them from doing it. Assuming that they are telling the truth, let’s examine this situation for a moment.

1. First, she (the client) wants you! She wants to hire you. She just said so: “I want to hire you, but I can’t because of X.”
2. Second, if X weren’t a problem, she would hire you! She just said so: “If it weren’t for that one thing, then I would be booking you right now.”

If those two conditions don’t exist, then you did not do steps 1, 2 and 3 correctly (Refer to January 2009 No Stone Left Unturned). So go back and repeat steps 1 through 3 until you arrive at the conditions above.

Once you’re there, it’s a breeze. Just offer a solution to the problem that’s holding her back. The catch is simply that you have to have a solution to offer. We’ll get to that in a minute. However, assuming, for the moment, that you do have a solution, she has to hire you. If she doesn’t, she reveals herself as a liar, or you didn’t do steps 1, 2 and 3 properly.

SOLUTIONS
As I mentioned last month, each industry has a standard 4 or 5 common objections. When I sold family movies, it was one set; when I sold accounting training packages it was another set. When I sell myself as an entertainer, it’s yet another set.

Here are the common objections that I’ve come across. I will offer some rebuttals/solutions. However, you need to write your own. I’ll explain as we go. Common objections in no particular order:

• We don’t have that in the budget.
• We don’t need a magician/entertainer (very common for restaurants)
• I’ll need to get approval.

As we look at the solutions below, keep in mind that you can only use the solutions once you’ve successfully completed steps 1, 2 and 3. If you have not done this, you cannot use these solutions.

I’ll walk through the first one (budget) all the way through each of the five steps as a refresher, but the rest, I will not.

Client: We just can’t do it.
Magi: Do you mind if I ask what’s holding you back?

Client: We can’t afford that in the budget.
Magi: I understand. So basically it’s just a financial issue?

Client: Right.
Magi: That makes perfect sense. I mean if you don’t have the cash, you can’t hire a performer. So If I understand you correctly, you’re interested in the show; you think that the guests will enjoy it, and if you had it in the budget, you would hire me, correct?

Client: That is correct.
Magi: Great, so the only thing holding you back is the financial part of it, right?

Client: Right.
Magi: So if we could figure out a way to work it into the budget you would book the show?

Client: Yes
Magi: Great! What kind of budget do you have?

Client: I was only authorized to spend $750, and your fee is $1000.
Magi: Ok. Great. Let’s do this: the $1000 fee I quoted you was based on a 1 hour show. I also have a 40 Minute show that I charge $750 for.

Client: Perfect!
Magi: Great. I’ve got it in my calendar for March 5, 2009.  Here’s an invoice for the up front deposit (50 %). The rest we’ll take care of after the show.

Look guys, I know that looks like real magic, but that’s really how it plays out if you use this system properly with confidence and rapport. Let’s examine a couple points in the solution.

1. First, note that I said, “Let’s do this…” I didn’t ask. I assumed. I guided. I directed. I told her what to do.
2. Second, and most important, you may not be willing to shorten your show like I did, so you’ll have to write your own rebuttal. It will be custom to you.

Next Objection:
We don’t need an entertainer. Remember, you’ve already, through steps 1, 2 and 3, committed them to agreeing that if you can show them the need, they’ll hire you.

Solution:
Your slowest night of the week is wednesday night. My total fee for the night is $250. That means you only need to get about 20 to 30 extra patrons to come in that day.  Word quickly spreads. Not to mention the advertising I’ll be giving you within my circle of influence. Plus the fliers and table tents… All of this ads up to more and more people wanting to come in.

Within the first month, you’ll see a dramatic increase. If you don’t see a noticable increase in patrons, then we’ll reconsider our arrangement after 45 days.

Next Objection:
I need to get approval. This is relatively common at smaller companies where someone is given the task to find entertainment and get quotes, etc.

Solution:
As you said, if you got approval, you would hire me, so let’s up the odds for both of us. I’ll make sure you look good for picking the right entertainer, and I’ll make sure I look good… Let’s schedule a 15 minute meeting with the decision maker, and I’ll show him a sample of my work. That’ll lock things down.

Of course, she may object to you getting in front of the boss. If she does, go through the 5 steps. Once you’re in front of the boss, the boss may object. If so, go through the 5 steps.

Are you getting the picture? The five steps are magic. Until Next Month…

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