The best salespeople don’t just listen to what prospects say — they figure out what prospects actually mean. Because as you probably know first-hand, prospects aren’t always 100% transparent with sales reps. this means as a sales rep, you should be able to respond properly as to what the prospect is trying to say. In B2B marketing, verifying through the phone is crucial and we have compiled some best respond from our agents.
“Ping me in a couple weeks.”
How to respond: “Okay, I can do that. And so that I can give you the most relevant info, can you tell me … [qualifying question]?”
“I don’t have time.”
How to respond: “Not a problem. I’d be happy to follow up in [a couple days, a week, a month, next quarter] — but if you have just two minutes right now, I can tell you how the product will help you with [very specific prospect problem].”
“I’m too new in my position to buy this.”
How to respond: If your research shows there’s someone higher up on the ladder that would have more purchasing authority than this particular contact, say, “I completely understand. Should I be talking to your [CMO, CTO, CIO, CXO]? Also, I’d love to send you a document showing how our product will specifically help your company with X problem. That way you’ll be on the same page as [name of decision maker].”
“We don’t have the budget.”
How to respond: Your approach will change depending on which stage of the buying process the prospect is in. If you’re talking to the prospect for the first time, say: “That’s okay. We don’t expect you to buy anything right now. We’d just like the opportunity to share what we are doing and see if it’s valuable to your company.”
“This seems like a good fit for our organization.”
How to respond: It is recommended to answer with: “How would you know if this is the best fit for you? How will you decide?”
“The product looks great … but we need it to do X.”
How to respond: “Okay, thanks for letting me know. Why is that feature a priority for your company?”
“When would the service begin?”
How to respond: “What would be the optimal date for you? I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
