I often get asked the question of how to handle the objection: “My supplier is my friend/brother/long term relationship, etc.” While this is, at first glance, a seeming difficult objection to overcome – and sometimes, if it’s true, won’t be overcome right away – there are ways to position yourself to earn some of the business either right away, or to be the preferred vendor they reach out to if they need to consider making a change. The way to do this effectively is to be prepared with proven scripts. Let’s take it one at a time:
Objection: “My supplier is my friend.”
The way to first deal with this is to explore the relationship briefly and then to qualify for an opening. Use:
“I understand, I also do business with people I consider friends as well. Tell me, how long have you been doing business with him/her/them?”
Layer:
“And who were you doing business with prior to them?”
Layer:
“And when was the last time you did a comparison with another provider?”
[If never]
“Well then, it’s a good idea to at least get another opinion/quote of services just so you know that you’re not only getting the best deal and service, but also so you’ll know who to reach out to should you need additional help. Could I at least do a no cost/no obligation comparison quote for you?”
If your prospect says yes, then there’s an opportunity here and you’ve uncovered it.
If they say no, then simply use the “Next in Line Script” below:
“O.K., no problem. One last question: Could I be the next in line person you reach out to in case you ever need to get another quote or service comparison?”
[If yes – take all their information and then]:
“Just out of curiosity, what would have to happen for you to even consider reaching out to someone else?”
This technique, if used as above, is highly effective at getting your prospect to open up and reveal any possible opportunity.
Objection: “My supplier is my brother/relative.”
As above, your first job is to question and explore this objection. Use:
“Hey that’s great. As you know, doing business with relatives can have its upside and downside, how’s your experience been?”
[If great]
“That’s good to hear. Just out of curiosity, how long have you been doing business with them?”
Layer:
“And who did you use before that?”
Layer:
“And what did you like about doing business with a non-relative that you miss now?”
[Regardless of what they say, Layer]:
“Well then, it’s a good idea to at least get another opinion/quote of services just so you know that you’re not only getting the best deal and service, but also so you’ll know who to reach out to should you need additional help. Could I at least do a no cost/no obligation comparison quote for you?”
If your prospect says yes, then there’s an opportunity here and you’ve uncovered it.
If they say no, then simply use the “Next in Line Script” below:
“O.K., no problem. One last question: Could I be the next in line person you reach out to in case you ever need to get another quote or service comparison?”
[If yes – take all their information and then]:
“Just out of curiosity, what would have to happen for you to even consider reaching out to someone else?”
Objection: “I’ve been doing business with my current supplier for a long time…”
Rebuttal:
“How long has that been?”
Layer:
“And has it been that long since you’ve compared prices and services with another provider?”
OR
“You know, a lot has changed in that time; it sounds like this would be a good time to at least get another opinion/quote of services just so you know that you’re not only getting the best deal and service, but also so you’ll know who to reach out to should you need additional help. Could I at least do a no cost/no obligation comparison quote for you?”
If your prospect says yes, then there’s an opportunity here and you’ve uncovered it.
If they say no, then simply use the “Next in Line Script” below:
“O.K., no problem. One more question: Could I be the next in line person you reach out to in case you ever need to get another quote or service comparison?”
[If yes – take all their information and then]:
“Just out of curiosity, what would have to happen for you to even consider reaching out to someone else?”
As you can see, the way to deal with this objection is to get your prospect talking to see if there is an opportunity there. If you use these scripts, you’ll be surprised at what you might uncover.