How can you effectively overcome a prospect's resistance?

One of the most challenging aspects of sales management is dealing with prospects who are reluctant, skeptical, or hostile to your offer. How can you effectively overcome their resistance and move them closer to a positive decision? In this article, you will learn some practical tips and techniques to handle different types of objections and win over your prospects.

1 Identify the root cause

Before you can address your prospect's resistance, you need to understand what is causing it. Is it a lack of trust, a lack of urgency, a lack of budget, a lack of need, or a lack of authority? Asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and empathizing with their situation can help you uncover the real reason behind their hesitation. Once you know the root cause, you can tailor your response accordingly and provide relevant information, benefits, and value propositions.

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Bhagyashree S

Corporate Training Services , Entrepreneur
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Listen to prospect carefully and try to understand what's the exact problem. Ask right question and customize the solution according to the customers concern, give added values.

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Ben Ponzio
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The most important thing you can do as a salesperson is to ask questions of your client and listen to their responses. Most prospects have no interest in buying what you are selling, even if they called you. They are buying a solution to a problem. That problem may be abstract or not initially obvious, but the more you ask questions, listen to the answers, and then ask questions about those answers, the more you can find out what that problem is. If you solve that problem, then you will overcome most of the resistance from clients.

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2 Use the LAER model

The LAER model is an effective framework to overcome resistance. It stands for Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, and Respond and helps build rapport, show respect, and avoid confrontation with your prospect. To use it, you should first listen to your prospect's concerns and objections without interrupting or judging them. Pay attention to their words, tone, and body language. Then acknowledge their point of view by validating their feelings and opinions. Ask probing questions to clarify and challenge their assumptions and beliefs. Finally, provide a solution or counter-argument that addresses their specific needs and pain points. Present your offer in a positive way to make it compelling.

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3 Handle common objections

When prospects raise objections related to price, competition, timing, and authority, there are ways to handle them. Instead of focusing on the cost, focus on the value and return on investment of your offer. Demonstrate how it can help save money, make money, or solve a problem. Acknowledge your competitors' strengths and highlight your unique selling proposition. Create a sense of urgency and scarcity for your offer by showing how they can benefit now rather than later. Identify and reach out to the person who has the power and budget to approve your offer. Use referrals, testimonials, or social proof to establish your authority and credibility. With trial closes, trial offers, or pilot programs you can get a commitment or referral from your prospect.

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Gert Karu

Supporting individuals & organizations to maximize their sales opportunities🔝
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A great tool for handling common objections is a playbook that outlines all the primary objections and provides 3-4 possible solutions for each. It's a valuable exercise to undertake with the team.

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4 Follow up and close

The last step to overcome resistance is to follow up and close the deal. Don't let your prospect forget about you or lose interest in your offer. Keep in touch with them until they are ready to buy. Use email, phone, or social media to remind them of the value and the benefits of your offer. Use trial closes, assumptive closes, or alternative closes to ask for the sale or the next step. Use objections, questions, or feedback as opportunities to address any remaining concerns or doubts. Use positive reinforcement, incentives, or referrals to reward your prospect for choosing you and to generate repeat business or referrals.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Mat Willner

Dedicated B2B Sales professional, family-member, and friend.
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The absolute best way to respond to resistance is before it happens. If you do your research and prepare for your client. You should have a solution for them that is genuinely good for both of you. If they resist that? Then you can employ these tactics, though I somewhat believe that even then just some simple exploration questions should do the trick. Most of the time it comes down to trust. Build that first before proposing anything.

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Angus MacDonald

Senior Sales Engineer | Adlumin | IT & Cybersecurity Strategy | IT Architecture | Cloud Technology Adoption and IT Digital Evolution | Project Management | ML | Al
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Overcoming prospect resistance involves empathy, education, and adaptability. Start by deeply understanding their needs and challenges, then educate them with relevant insights and case studies to build trust. Be flexible in your approach, tailoring your solutions to their specific situation. Address objections directly with clear, honest answers, and use social proof from similar success stories to build confidence. Patience and a focus on relationship-building are key, as trust takes time to develop.

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How can you effectively overcome a prospect's resistance?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Identify the root cause

2 Use the LAER model

3 Handle common objections

4 Follow up and close

5 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Management

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How can you effectively overcome a prospect's resistance?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Identify the root cause

2 Use the LAER model

3 Handle common objections

4 Follow up and close

5 Here’s what else to consider

Sales Management

Rate this article

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