There is an often overlooked secret that coaches tend to ignore when it comes to seeking out and overcoming their prospect’s objections.
The secret involves listening. Really listening.
Why is that so important?
Simple: If your prospect’s objection is real, they will usually repeat that objection more than once during your conversation. That’s a big indicator that whatever the objection is, its real…and it needs to be overcome before you can expect your prospect to begin to move towards any kind of commitment to you and your program.
Looking for this secret will also tell you if your prospect is stalling. Letting your prospect talk out their feelings completely – without interruption by you – will give you an accurate indication if they are stalling, or if their objections are indeed real.
Recognizing “stalls” is just as important as recognizing when your prospect is truly objecting to something. Stalling by your prospect indicates that they have an unanswered objection that has not been satisfactorily addressed by you. And it needs to be before you can expect to get deeper into the recruiting process with them.
How can you dig out a real objection? If you think your prospect might be stalling, try using some questioning like this:
- You’ve told me that you are having a problem with _________, but I get the feeling you might actually have something else on your mind. What could that be?”
- “Don’t you really mean _________________ ?”
- “Usually when an athlete tells me that, it means that they (objection). Is that the case with you?”
- “Sometimes prospects that I talk to have a question about (objection). Is that something that’s on your mind?”
That’s not an exhaustive list, of course. But hopefully it gives you a good start when it comes to identifying an objection (a real objection, that is) and identifying stalls by your prospects.
Overcoming objections is the key factor in successful recruiting. That’s why we’re making sure our clients and coaches who take part in our On-Campus Workshops are getting the best training possible when it comes to overcoming objections. Whether you get training from us or become an expert on your own, learning to overcome objections is vital for your coaching and recruiting career.