Sales Challenge: Existing Relationship

When speaking with business owners during my courses and coaching sessions, one thing I always do is ask them about a current challenge they are facing. We then discuss it and see how we can workshop an approach to solving it together.

I thought it may be helpful to share some of the challenges that have come up in those discussions and provide them as mini-case examples to talk through, with some ideas and techniques to help overcome them.

Today’s Sales Challenge:

You have identified a prospect. You know your product is a really great fit for them and would really help their business. They may even have told you that your product is a great fit for them! But they have also told you that they have a long standing relationship with an existing supplier, and despite loving your product they don’t want to damage that relationship.

Things to think about

This example shows just how important your customer relationships are. We all want to be that business where your customers feel a strong sense of loyalty to you and your business.

A relationship on its own, though, is not enough. You also need to be providing a great product and service that is keeping up with the what the customer needs now.

With this in mind, the prospect probably wouldn’t be engaging with you in a discussion if there wasn’t some part of them that thought they might be able to get a better solution.

Trap for young players

What most people will do in this instance is instinctively start telling the person all the things that are great about themselves and their product, and why they the prospect should switch to them. They info-dump on them.

Remember – statements push, questions pull people towards you. Don’t batter them with information and statements.

Ask lots of questions

If you haven’t already, you need to keep asking lots of questions about their current solution - what is working for them and what isn’t. Remember, if they say it they know it is true. Identify what they like about their current solution. Ask questions to help them clarify the gap between what they have and what they would like to have or need, that your solution can fulfill.

So we now have them thinking that they can see your product or solution is better – but they are still saying that they want to stay with their existing supplier.

Involve them in the solution

One way to address this challenge that I have found works for me, is to involve them in solving the issue with you. Literally ask them, say that you really believe that your product is better (if you’ve asked the right questions, they’ve already articulated this back to you), but you are just not sure how to address the loyalty they feel to their existing supplier – and ask how they would suggest you address that?

Hopefully, if you’ve started to build a relationship with this person, they will feel some empathy for you – and be honest with you. I’ve done this before, and they have come back with things like “If you can just give me until the end of my current license, which expires in six months, then I can move”, or “Perhaps we can start with one of the items you supply more cheaply than them”, or even “You could take me out for lunch!”.  

Asking their help to address the challenge will often also uncover another reason that they have not told you about – as in the license expiry mentioned above. So, it can also be a great way to uncover objections you have missed.

You would be surprised if you are honest and open with people, how often they keen to help and will be open and honest in return.

If you would like to learn more about how sell to businesses, check out our 12-Week Sales Incubator Course.