What do you do when you make an offer to a potential client who seems gung-ho at first, and then says, “I have to think about it”? You might be afraid of even offering your product or service because you aren’t sure how to handle objections from clients like this one.
I’ve been there, and I can tell you from my personal experience that it’s not just about price. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling an item for 10 cents or $10,000–it’s a knee-jerk reaction for a people to respond to a sales offer with “I have to think about it.”
So how can you handle this reaction? Below I’m sharing 1 actionable tip to help you avoid this objection in the first place, a follow-up process to use when it does happen, and an acronym to help you remember what encourages people to take action.
Avoid the objection in the first place by painting a picture so they can see themselves in the end result.
Whether you’re selling a service or digital product, it’s important to paint a picture of the transformation or result that your client will achieve by working with you. Look at everything you have communicated with your potential client. Was it focused on features–like worksheets, coaching calls, or trainings?
Most of us aren’t thinking to ourselves, “I’d love some more worksheets in my life!” Instead, focus on what your product or service will do for your client. What is their life going to look like if they invest in what you’re offering?
Here’s an analogy I shared with one of my clients recently: Imagine going to a personal trainer, and she tells you, “Okay Renee, you want to lose 20 pounds? Alright! So you’re going to get here at 5:30 in the morning, and you’re going to do aerobics, and then you’re going to do weights for 25 minutes, and then pushups and lunges. It’s going to be so great!”
Now think about if she said it this way: “You’re going to lose 20 pounds if you commit to doing everything I talk about. These are the results that my past clients have had, and this is where they started.” In the second example, she is showing you a before and after and sharing a story that you can relate to. You know you have to put the work in, but you can see yourself in the results.
While you still need to share the details of what is included, the most important thing your client wants to know what’s in it for them. When a potential client says, “I have to think about it,” it’s not because you haven’t given them enough details. It’s because you haven’t given them a clear picture of how your product or service relates to their desired outcome.
So when you’re communicating with a potential client, make sure you answer these questions: What’s life going to look like after working together? What are the results going to be for if they put the work in? What can I promise them if they choose to invest in me?
Remember: Paint the picture of what their life will look like as a result of working with you.
So, what if you weren’t able to avoid this objection in the first place, and now the call is over? The conversation has already happened, and the client told you they needed to think about it. Is there anything you can do?
Use a follow up process I call the “Sales Page Email.”
- Send a follow-up email that includes a deadline. Here’s what I suggest including:
–Compliment them. “I loved talking to you, especially when you said this, this, and this. I really believe in your vision, especially this, this, and this.”
–Relate it to a real life example. “It actually reminds me of a story of a client who I worked with that had a similar scenario. And now, this is what her business looks like.” Help them understand that you can deliver results by sharing a before and after story.
–Include a deadline. “I am willing to extend this offer to you at this price until ______.” Give them a deadline, and explain it in a kind and clear way. - Send a “nudge email.” If they haven’t responded after you sent a follow-up email and the deadline is approaching, send one more email. “I noticed you haven’t taken advantage of ______. I was hoping that we could work together. If not, I totally understand. I’m still going to cheer you on from the sidelines. I would love to have a formal working relationship with you so that you can get the same results as….”
- If they don’t respond, give them some love to show that there are no hard feelings. On the deadline, find them on social media, read their blog, comment on it, or share it on social. Just because they didn’t take you up on your offer doesn’t mean that the relationship is over. You’ve now talked to them on the phone and established a warm connection. They may decide to work with you down the road, or they might refer others to you.
What causes people to take action?
I have an acronym that I share often called FUJI. These concepts are woven into my tips for overcoming the common objection of “I have to think about it.”
- Fear of loss: There are finite resources available, whether it is time with you, seats at a conference, or time when a cart is open. Think about human nature. There are things in your own life that you put off even though you know they are great ideas and are things you’d like to do. For example, I lived in New York City for many years, but I never went to the Empire State Building until I went back years later as a tourist with my husband. Why do we do this? Life gets in the way, and we forget. If the opportunity is always there and available, it keeps getting pushed off the list. By having a deadline, it requires the other person to act by a certain time. It’s not about tricking them–it’s about setting a deadline because you understand human nature.
- Urgency: Share WHY they should do it now. For example, you could say, “I’d to work with you now. I have 2 more spots left in my 1-1 coaching.”
- Jealousy: This isn’t meant to inspire jealousy, but again, it’s about understand human nature. As humans, we want to know what everyone else is doing. What’s one of the first questions you ask when you get invited to a party? If you’re like many people, it’s probably: “Who’s going to be there?”
When you’re proposing an offer to someone for a group program, 1-1 coaching, or other service, testimonials are a great way to share about the other people involved. Testimonials are about telling the story of how your product or service helped a client specifically: “My business looked like this, and when I worked with Renee, in just 2 weeks, I got these results.” If you don’t have stories like that yet, share what results your clients can expect to have. - Indifference: This is about letting people know that you’re not taking their decision of whether to work with you personally. Let them know that no matter what they decide, you’re still going to cheer them on. One practical way of doing this is to go find their content on social media after they’ve said no, and love it up to show that there are no hard feelings.
There are so many variables as well as strategies for overcoming customer objections–I’m sure we could talk about this topic for a month or more! I hope these few tips help you get started, and always remember this foundational truth: what you have to offer is of value and there’s no reason why people wouldn’t want to take advantage of it.
If you want to dive deeper into the conversation, I’d love for you to join us in the Entrepreneurial Parents Movement Facebook Group, my private little clubhouse on Planet Internet!
