How To Battle Indifference & Skepticism

Here are some ways to handle the less-than-ideal responses of indifference and skepticism -- and maybe even turn them into a sale.

Let's talk first about the difference between these two attitudes. Indifference occurs when the prospect has no opinion about the value you have shown them. Basically, they don't care. Skepticism occurs when they question if your product or service can really help them accomplish what they want. They don't believe what you're telling them. If you're confronted with skepticism or indifference, you haven't presented enough customer-specific value to show how you can help them.

Remember, mild acceptance may be confused with indifference or skepticism.
* "It seems like it could be a fit ..." Ask why it only seems like a fit. This may identify skepticism.
* "Yeah, that would be OK ..." Ask if they would allocate part (or all) of their budget to accomplish that outcome. That may identify indifference, and closing hard would drive out an objection.

If you aren't sure, ask. There's no real downside to asking. Be sure to mirror their dominant DISC personality traits when asking more questions.

You will know you're confronted with indifference when:
1. The prospect's response is not emotional.
2. There isn't even a sprinkling of acceptance or objection.
3. Logic says they should have an opinion, but they don't care.
4. Basically, they seem like they just don't care.

If you get to a point where you have encountered indifference, close hard and force them to have an opinion. This will identify the true objection if they're a decision maker (DM). Keep in mind that most of the time you are confronted with indifference, it's because your contact is not the DM. This should cause you to probe deeper to fully understand their Value Opportunities. You can gain a better understanding of the DM loop if they aren't a DM.

You will know you're confronted with skepticism when:
1. The prospect's response is emotional.
2. There is mild acceptance thrown in.
3. You've received feedback that you've properly identified the Value Opportunity. You just haven't convinced them that your company can deliver the proposed value.

Skepticism is the customer saying "prove it." They don't believe that your company can deliver what you say, or they doubt what you say can help them. First, find out why they don't believe you. Probe deeper using QACF to uncover the source of the reason they don't believe what you're telling them is the truth. You may also have to present more value by using specific proofs and showing the benefits to them.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Cooperating With The Gatekeeper

At the February Erie Sales Club Workshop, the theme of our roundtable discussion was "Getting Past The Gatekeeper." But as we talked, the group concluded that "getting past" is the incorrect attitude sales reps should take in regards to gatekeepers. This shouldn't be an adversarial relationship at all. The gatekeeper wants to help their company and so does the sales rep.

Here's the list the group developed of the 7 Best Methods For Working With Gatekeepers:

1. Cooperate with the gatekeeper. Say, "I need your help" instead of devising a scheme to bypass them.

2. Out of respect, learn the gatekeeper's name and get to know them as a person.

3. After you talk with the gatekeeper, send them a note with a gift card thanking them for being pleasant and helpful.

4. Have a unique and compelling What's In It For Them (WIIFT) reason the gatekeeper should give you access to the decision maker. What can you provide that will benefit their company?

5. Prepare. Know the prospect's biggest pain and their biggest need, and be prepared to offer a solution to their problems.

6. Research the company on their website. Find out who the decision makers are and ask for them by name. For smaller companies, start by asking for the president first and second-ranking manager next. Knowing the decision maker's (DM's) name can earn you faster entry.

7. If you were referred by someone the prospect knows, mention that up front.


When gatekeepers are uncooperative and do not grant you access, you may need to use these creative tactics to bypass them:
* Buy a lottery ticket and mail it to the decision maker with a note saying, "Call me if you win!"
* Send the DM a book they might find interesting. Mail it via a method that requires a signature (e.g. FedEx, UPS). This will make you stand out immediately and give you a better chance of them returning your call.
* Connect with the DM on LinkedIn. The gatekeeper likely doesn't manage their LinkedIn connections, so they can't block you.
* Call the DM during lunch.
* Call another extension in the organization and ask that person to connect you with the DM.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

True Acceptance vs. Mild Acceptance

Just because your prospect has accepted value, don't automatically assume you have enough acceptance to close the sale. There are varying degrees of acceptance. Mild or weak acceptance can lead to confusion with skepticism and/or indifference.

Determining the correct attitude revealed and responding appropriately will help you advance the sale. Specifically, your response to acceptance will lead you to closing the sale.

Recognizing Acceptance
If early in your sales call you receive strong acceptance with no delivery of value on your part, be skeptical. It could be a smokescreen. If they think your product/service is so wonderful without you presenting any value to their Value Opportunities, then why haven't they purchased from you already?

When confronted with this situation:
1. Close them with, "What is it that you like about our product/service?"
2. Dig into what they say they like. This will flush out whether the acceptance is real or a smokescreen. They will not be able to answer these questions if their acceptance is a smokescreen. If they provide legitimate answers, then segue into asking probing questions and present additional Value Propositions to build even more acceptance until you get to a point where you can close.

True acceptance occurs when you receive positive feedback. Unsolicited positive feedback -- the customer indicating the Value Proposition you presented would benefit them -- may be a buying cue. Solicited feedback occurs when you close on points. The feedback you receive, while positive, may not be a cue to close but rather a cue to probe deeper to deliver more value.

If you get acceptance, whether solicited or not, probe to fully understand the next Value Opportunity and present value to address it OR continue to present Value Propositions to address the current Value Opportunity.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.

Close On Points, Then Close The Sale

If you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale. That phrase will be repeated throughout this posting for emphasis. Closing on a point occurs during your sales discussion at the end of your comments in QACF, prompting the client to provide feedback. The feedback from the client is usually one of four attitudes: Acceptance, Skepticism, Indifference, or Objection. These attitudes may also be revealed by the client/prospect without you asking.

There are at least 6 good reasons to close on points:
1. It reveals and validates an attitude.
2. It helps determine if you need to ask more questions.
3. It helps you determine if you need to deliver more value.
4. It can lead the customer to sell themselves.
5. Validate your understanding of what they're saying.
6. Demonstrate engagement with the contact (active listening).

As stated before, if you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale. If the customer rejects the sale, there is most likely a true objection that has not been addressed.

How To Close On Points
Your goal is to get and build acceptance. Ask questions which prompt "yes" responses along the way. Doing this increases the chance of the prospect giving you a "yes" answer in response to us helping them with a Value Opportunity. And, it increases the chance of getting a "yes" answer on the sale. For example, "So, do you see how we can help you with your branding?" and "Would that help you increase your sales?"

Closing on a point can be hard or soft. Media advertising examples --
Hard: "Is that somebody you would advertise to get in front of?" "Would you advertise in order to get customers like that?"
Soft: "Are those the types of people you're trying to get in front of?" "Is that the kind of person who would be a potential customer for you?"

Their response when you present Value Propositions will reveal their attitude. Remember, most salespeople want to hear acceptance. If you can be skeptical and remove emotion from your call to remain objective, you will be better at recognizing attitudes. The degree of their response is directly tied to the degree to which you probe to fully understand their Value Opportunities.

Additional Tips
* Speak to their agenda, not yours.
* Don't assume that a Value Opportunity is accepted. Ask the question to tie down.
* Balance empathy with aggressiveness.
* If you are closing on points properly, you can uncover and respond appropriately to attitudes so that closing on the sale will be assumptive or soft.
* If you do a good job at closing on points as you move through the sales process, it should lead to you closing on the sale.

The Erie Sales Club is a joint effort of four leading local businesses: Jameson Publishing, Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services, VertMarkets, and Howland Peterson Consulting.