Learn How to Deliver Responses

Learning Objectives 

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Select team members to handle your customer’s objections.
  
• Use proof to respond to objections.
  
• Respond to objections using the Feel, Felt, Found method.
  
• Share a customer story.
  

Customers Object, You Respond

You’ve been through the first 2 Ds of the 3 Ds process and you know:

• Your customer’s objection.
  
• What the objection means to the customer.
  
• What your customer needs from Salesforce.
  

At last, you’re ready to respond. This is the third and final step of our objection handling process: Deliver—respond to the objection.

It’s time to consider who’s the best person to deliver the response. This decision depends on:

• What the objection is.
  
• Where you are when your customer shares the objection.
  
• How quickly you want to respond.
  

Often you’re alone in the conversation with your customer. When this happens, your customer is likely waiting for your reply. Make sure you answer the right question and that you have a response in mind, then go ahead and handle the objection.

Other times you want to hold off on answering your customer’s objection right away. Engage other members of your team who are better suited to answer the objection when you:

• Are in a meeting with your team and the customer.
  
• Need more information to deliver the best response.
  
• Have time to follow up with the customer later.
  

Consider the type of objection your customer is sharing. You want to respond with the best details, right?

Here’s a handy guide to help you find the teammate with the best details. If time or the situation allows, this person can also deliver the response to your customer.

Before you meet with your customer, brainstorm with your team about possible objections. Then discuss some recommended responses and who’s going to answer the objection. This way, you’re more prepared to respond on the spot.

Our Three Favorite Response Techniques

You know who’s answering the objection, so how do you deliver your response? Here are three tried-and-true techniques that are very effective. You can use each individually, or combine them. You can even use all three together in one response to the same customer.

Respond with Proof

Customers want evidence that products work before they invest in them. That’s why there are so many online product reviews, right? So when you respond to your customer, it’s helpful to share some evidence of how your product works for other customers.

A sweet snippet can be informative and memorable—and sometimes it’s the reason why your customer buys. Here are some examples, organized by proof type.

Use Feel, Felt, Found

When your customer’s objection has a deep emotional base or requires a more personal approach, tap into your EQ and try the feel, felt, found process. Here’s how it works.

When you use this method, remember it’s about what you say and how you say it. This is when you show empathy for your customer and:

• Prove you have experience with similar situations.
  
• Help the customer see working with you as a path to success.
  
• Strengthen your rapport.
  

Share a Customer Success Story

A great story can be the difference between a "no" and "go". For many customers—really for anyone—stories can be more:

• Convincing than stats
  
• Memorable than product details
  
• Effective at building an emotional connection
  
• Successful at building trust
  

When you work with objections, consider sharing a story with these elements.

• A customer who had an objection or something difficult to overcome
  
• Evidence of a successful solution
  
• A plan that’s still working today
  
• A customer who is happier than expected
  

Timing Is Everything

Depending on the complexity of your customer’s objection, all of these steps—from Defuse through Deliver—can happen in a matter of minutes. In other cases, more time is required to gather information  or follow up with stakeholders.

Handle the objection using the 3 Ds method in the most timely way possible. This doesn’t always mean addressing it quickly. It means:

• Taking time to listen to your customer
  
• Making time to consider all of the factors surrounding the objection
  
• Answering the objection with a response that’s in sync with the objection and supported by clear and convincing evidence or examples
  

For those times when it’s not appropriate or possible to respond right away, handle your customer’s objection by working through the concern together and establishing a path for follow-up. Here are a few examples.

• “Now that we’ve talked through your concern, it sounds like you need more information. How about we bring in some experts who can talk about this in greater detail?”
  
• “What makes sense as a next step?”
  
• “Are you interested in having a conversation with another customer who had a similar concern?”
  

Tip the Bucket

If your customer isn’t quite ready to move forward with your solution, it’s possible there’s another objection they haven't shared yet. When you’re having a one-on-one discussion and if it feels right, ask your customer if there’s something else to address. We call this tipping the bucket. Here are some examples of what you can ask.

• “Are there other reasons why you’re not ready to continue?”
  
• “What else is stopping you from moving forward?”
  
• “It sounds like you have several concerns. What else is on your mind?”
  

If you’re in a room full of people or delivering a presentation, don’t ask for more objections. If you sense that your customer has more to say, ask them later in a more personal conversation.

You’ve got this 3 Ds business covered. For a little more practice and preparation, let’s take a look at some common objections you’re likely to encounter.

Resources

• Video: ESMB Fast Ramp 101: Storytelling