Handling Objections, by Old Welsh Guy

CHILDREN NEGOTIATE BEST.
Dad can I have sweets, NO - Dad can I have sweets, NO - Dad can I have sweets, NO
Dad can I have sweets, NO 
BUT DAD I WILL BE QUIET IN THE BACK OF THE CAR ALL THE WAY HOME? 

Oh OK then, but don’t tell your mother - OK dad, can I have my sweets now please

Perfect negotiating skills the kid knew he had rattled dad enough and he sold him on the peace and quiet benefit, as that was what dad wanted above not wanting his kid to have sweets.
                                                   ----------------------------------
Objections are great during the selling or negotiating process, they prove that the client is actually playing a part in things, and not just letting you go through things on your own. We should welcome objections, as they will lead to a more solid outcome, one that both parties have moulded rather than one dominating the other into acceptance.

When it comes to design objections these are slightly different, as the customer has already ‘bought’ your services, and is now negotiating the actual construction process, in a kind of resident construction site engineer capacity.

The question asked was how do you handle a customer who wants a design element that is going to damage a crucial phase of the process, be it usability, design layout, optimisation, or compatibility? When the fact is that if the customer ABSOLUTELY INSISTS on what they want you are left with two choices. Do it their way, or walk away from the job telling the customer why, and parting on good terms. Rarely does it ever come to the second option, although sometimes it may well come close.

In order to overcome an objection like this it is important that we build our negotiating position on a firm footing, and that is done at the very beginning. One of the very first questions you should ask your customer is why they feel they need your services, often they are unclear, and we must, as professionals clarify this in their mind so we can ‘get them onboard’ buying into the project with enthusiasm.

If I have been asked to build a website for a customer, then after the introductions, and right up front I ask them the $64,000 question, ‘why do you want a website’? the bulk of people have not thought this out, they just feel that they should have one. The second question is then what do want your website to achieve for your business, are they looking to sell from the web, create interest, provide sales leads? Etc. It is at this stage that you will create the ammunition you will need later when design objections arise.

The stages are the same for all negotiations: -
1) Agree with the customer and create some common ground
2) Question why they feel the way they do
3) Lay out the pros and cons resulting from that action.

Agreeing with the customer is important as it knocks down the wall of objection and gets them onside with you in getting an agreed result.

Questioning their motivation is also important as it gives you the means to counter and build your argument.

Laying out is important as it wins the war.

Scenario: -
The customer wants a flash intro, we all know it is pants and that 80% of people will leave the site without even getting through the door so what do we do.

I understand what you are saying john you want a nice singing and dancing welcome page right? You are not alone in this feeling many have wanted and had the same thing, and I have to say that some of the websites you see with flash intros are brilliant, but why do you want one for YOUR site? What do you think it can add?

Customer reply. I want people who come to our site to think WOW look at that, that’s amazing, I want our to be the best thing they will have ever seen, I want them to sit there speechless.

POSITION
You now know what is driving the customer to want this flash intro, you now know how to sell him off the idea he has in his mind. You have to ask yourself what is his biggest desire, to have a stunning site, or to make money from it? Having both could be difficult.

A clear focus on what the customer expects this investment in your services to do will be your best friend, This was done way back at the beginning, and now you will be able to blow him out of the water with a statement like- ‘ John, you and I agreed that you want this site to bring you in the orders, you want to have a regular supply of business from it, you want this to be the best thing since sliced bread that your business has ever seen, and to do that we have to get it up there near the top of the tree. What you want me to do is going to stop that happening, Now don’t get me wrong I can and will do it if you insist, but we are talking MAJOR problems with ranking here’ and a lower ranking will cost you money, Major money. So what do you say we try and work this thing out and make us both happy?

Flash is fantastic as I said earlier, and some of the websites are brilliant with it, but the search engines cant really read what’s in it as it is all graphics, if the search engines cant read it, then no one is ever going to find your website to be able to see it, do you see that? Do you understand what I am saying here? What I have to ask you is do you want to have people find you as your #1 goal for the site, or do you want to have a stunning intro as your #1?

I can make the site great, we can have the very same stunning Flash movie available, but what I am saying is what about we ask the customer if they want to see it, rather than risk them going away if they don’t? Coz that is going to cost you money, and neither of us want that do we!

This approach will only count if you are building a site for optimisation needs, If the customer does not give a damn about where they rank, or they are password protecting their site, as it is only for agents etc then it is a whole new ball game.

You must get the customer onside, I really can’t say how important it is that you get the customer onside, because if you don’t then you could end up with either a Mexican stand off, or a reluctant agreement that will fester in the gut of the ‘losing’ party. You must be blunt in the negotiations, tell them what the outcome will be of their actions and what the effect will be, then let them decide, it is after all THEIR money, if at this stage you feel so strongly that you would rather not do the job, calmly tell the customer why you feel this way. Once again explain the effect that doing something so against the rules is going to have on the project, and tell them that you really do not want to help them to spend a lot of money that could come to nothing. Say it with passion and conviction, and always talk from your customers point of view, never say I, I, I, say we us you like ‘ John we want this website to do everything for us that we spoke about right at the beginning, we want it to bring in the leads like we planned, and I do not want that to fail because I did not explain properly to you just how bad having xxx can be.

Then have flash elements that compliment, or have a link right there on the front page that says, See our fantastic flash intro movie HERE ( 2.4meg) (obviously not in those words lol) guess how many people will view the movie? Apart from John that is. That will not matter though, as both he and you have negotiated a great outcome, and this is what matters most. HOME

Hope this has been of help, if not I hope it has given you a laugh.  All the Best, OWG
Copyright Umbrella Consultancy Ltd
you may use any article within this website however you MUST link back to us.