Handling Objections – “I do not have time”

What does it really mean when you hear this objection?

  • Customer is focused on other priorities…OR…
  • You did not prepare well enough for the call
  • You did not differentiate yourself in the first 30 seconds

First…you can certainly face this objection less frequently…invest time to warm up the call – get a referral!

Preparing and getting fewer objections

Information you want to try to gather before reaching out to this contact includes:

  • Background on LinkedIn
  • Insight from whomever referred you on their interests, goals
  • If you are calling on phone, who might answer the phone…critical to respect and try to be friendly with that person

Someone answers the phone for your targeted contact

Remember this person can make or break your ability to get time on your customer’s schedule.  You will be amazed at how simple it is to get them to help you just by respecting them.  Be sure to mention who suggested you connect with your targeted contact, find out their name and:

  • How their day is going
  • Ask if this is an ok time to talk
  • How/when they might suggest you connect with the contact you are pursuing

Handling “I do not have time”

Here is a scenario to provide some context:

  • You have been referred to a contact at an organization you would like to do business with.
  • You connect on the phone and get this objection

Some ideas on next steps:

If it seems like they are ok to talk for a couple of minutes…try to learn a little about challenges (related to solutions you provide) they are facing and where they rank on this person’s priority list.

If it is clear they want to get off the phone but are receptive…your goal is to identify a time that is more convenient for them and wrap up the call quickly.  Offer them a choice (e.g.  in two weeks?  Month?)

Gets easier with repetitions

Like anything…cooking, running or a video game…you will handle adversity with greater ease as you experience it more often.

Have a great week!

Feel free to contact me directly for ideas and/or help on this or other topics!

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