Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 09, 2019
The Power Of a Poor Substitute
Have you ever noticed that when you suggest a vast improvement to a buyer that you’re more excited about the solution than they are? It seems as if they are happy with the poor substitution.
This is a great example of hidden objections. They are rarely communicated but can kill a deal before the sales conversation ever begins. Here are two “secret” stories all buyers tell themselves when they hear your much-better solution:
• “There’s a catch.” Because it sounds almost too good to be true, buyers focus on what they don’t know. The fear is they will buy this thing, abandon what kinda works now, and in the middle of implementation find out there are trade-offs that are deal killers.
Listen: How to Address “There’s a Catch” Thinking Before It Kills Your Deal
• “What we have is good enough.” In other words, “no system is perfect, and I know and can handle the downside with the current system.” Don’t underestimate the devil we know; the workarounds for the glitches already are tested solutions. And again, there’s no ready solution for the glitches that pop up unexpectedly while using your solution.
Yes, people struggle with change. These stories compound that generalized fear and make the resistance real. Bring this thinking out in the open. Deal with this sooner rather than later.
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