So What to Do if You're Number Two?

One of the most difficult sales situations to manage is when the buyer clearly prefers a competitor's product or service to yours. The following tips will help you respond in such situation so that you either reposition for the current sale or the long-term relationship.

Acknowledge the Weakness and Counterbalance It with a Benefit
For several reasons, we decided not to work with him on the project. But we kept hearing rumors that his company is really good at what they do. So, two years later, we investigated his services again. I called the main number and left a message that I had another potential project to discuss. Two days later I received a phone call from Jim, "investigating" what I wanted. I told him. He handed me off to Susan who, he promised, would phone me later in the day. Susan never called.

Don't panic that your buyers will walk away once they realize your product or service has a weakness. Nothing is perfect in a complex sale. Even if the product or service is the best on the market, inevitably execution will be flawed somewhere along the line.

Buyers think rationally for the most part. People marry imperfect spouses. Managers hire imperfect job applicants. Bosses promote imperfect employees. Pet owners love imperfect pets. Families live in imperfect houses. Travelers take less-than-perfect vacations. In all these cases, people see weaknesses and take action anyway because the advantages outnumber the disadvantages.

Your product or service weakness cannot always be repositioned as a strength. You can, however, always even the score by adding pluses beside each minus. Your buyers simply need to see both sides of the equation.

Probe to Determine the Degree of Dismay About Product Limitations Some buyers are born to bellyache. They always see the glass half empty, but that doesn't keep them from drinking water. You need to understand what you're dealing with to determine how much attention to pay to their expressed concern. Probe with "How important is this issue to you?" and go from there. You don't want to hire a surgeon and rent an operating room if you can prescribe two aspirin and ask them to call again in the morning.

Reposition Your Weakness as a Strength
You’re not trying to “talk buyers out of” what they think, want, or need. Your goal is to give them two perspectives on the issue in question. For example, consider this chart of concerns:

Buyer Concern with What They See as a Product or Service Weakness Repositioned as a Strength “This is made of plastic. I thought it was steel. Steel is more durable.” “Yes, we make them of durable plastic so they’re more lightweight. They’re much more portable that way.” “Your company isn’t local. We really prefer dealing with local consultants so they can be on-site quickly.” “Actually, we’ve considered putting people in the field nearer to our clients. But we’ve found that most of our tech support is done on the phone anyway. If we have to be on-site, it’s only a four-hour flight from anywhere. The significant advantage of our location is that being in the Austin area, we can hire the best software expertise in the industry.” “You have only one pricing option to include everything—the equipment, customization, installation, delivery, tech support, warranty, and supplies. I don’t know that I need all those bells and whistles. I’d rather have just the equipment at a lower price.” “The reason we began pricing it this way was as a convenience to our buyers. We discovered very few technicians had the expertise to customize and install the equipment properly, so they’d try to do both installation and repairs, and it was costing our customers much more in the long run to find their own sources. We decided to add this service arm to ensure that the equipment operates with maximum efficiency—and so you don’t have the hassle of finding qualified technicians.”

Position Yourself in the Role of Advisor
If you agree with the buyers that your product or service is not a good match for their needs, position yourself in the role of consultant and advise them to look elsewhere to meet the need. It is best to lose the sale and keep the potential customer. Be of assistance when you can in referring them to other suppliers. Nothing will build their trust in you as quickly as investing time when you have no immediate vested interest. Yet you have everything to gain by winning their trust for the future.

Position Yourself as Second Contender for the Future
Wish buyers well in finding exactly what they want, but suggest that if they don't find a better match with another supplier that they come back to you. Always leave the door open; never make buyers have to lose face to give you a second chance to sell them something.

ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DIANNA BOOHER

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© Dianna Booher, Booher Consultants, Inc.

Author of 42 books (Simon & Schuster/Pocket, Warner, and McGraw-Hill), Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, delivers keynotes, breakout sessions, and training on communication and life-balance issues. Her latest books: Speak with Confidence®, Your Signature Life®, Your Signature Work®, E-Writing, and Communicate with Confidence®. For more information on Dianna and her programs, visit www.diannabooher.com or contact her firm, Booher Consultants, Inc., at 800-342-6621.

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