How To Deal With Customer Doubts + Reasons For Doubts And How To Identify Them

Hello! In this article, we will talk about the process of dealing with customer doubts.

Today you will learn:

• What are customer doubts and why do they arise;
• How to deal with customer doubts and objections;
• What mistakes should not be made when dealing with customer doubts

Causes of customer doubt

It's always difficult to choose. We doubt, we weigh the positive and negative aspects of each of the options. Buying, from the point of view of the consumer, is also a process of choice.

In the conditions of developing competition , the buyer has a very wide choice: on the shelves of stores there are always several options for the same product. And the more alternatives, the more doubts the buyer has.

The task of the sales manager is to overcome doubts and convince the client that his product is the best. But let's first understand what doubts are and why they arise.

Doubt is a request by a client for additional information about a product or company, expressed in a critical manner.

As you can see, doubts do not pose a threat to the transaction, but rather, on the contrary, signal a potential buyer's interest in the product.

Many managers are afraid of doubts, as buyers are categorical in their statements. Now we know that you should not be afraid of them, as this is a standard stage in the purchase process.

The first thing a seller needs to do when a customer has doubts is to determine the cause of their occurrence.

They may be as follows:

• The client wants to get more complete information . You ask, why not just ask the seller a question of interest. The answer is simple. Nobody wants to seem stupid, everyone wants to show themselves as a knowledgeable and competent person. The consumer believes that by asking some obvious but incomprehensible question, he will not put himself in the best light, and even show himself as a person to whom you can sell anything. Hence, doubts arise in the form of product criticism. Example: “I think this cable will break in a couple of weeks.” It is not difficult to deal with such objections, you just need to explain to the client why his doubt is unjustified. We will talk about this a little later.
• The customer is unsure if the product will solve their problem . The buyer listened to you, but did not understand exactly how your product will solve his problem. This problem occurs when the customer's needs are incorrectly defined. If you see that the interlocutor is gradually losing interest in your offer, then ask him the question: “What would you like to get from this purchase?” . This will allow you to correctly identify the problem and continue the presentation, but in the right direction.
• The client believes that the price of the product is much higher than its value . The buyer doubts that your price is fair. He wants to compare your price with the competitor's price. Typically, the consumer uses the “expensive” or “I need to think” argument. It is very important here to show how your product is better than competitors. The hidden comparison technique will help you do this. To do this, write down in advance the real advantages of your product over the product of competitors. Tell the client about them and show that these qualities will be the most beneficial and useful for him. Even if, after such a presentation, a potential consumer leaves you to compare prices, he will definitely return.

How to uncover customer doubts

It is clear how to identify the open reasons for the client’s doubts, but it also happens that the visitor silently listens to your offer, thanks, turns around and leaves. In this case, we are dealing with hidden doubts or a silent client.

The right strategy for a manager is to take the lead.

Ask your partner a few questions:

• Do you understand how it works?
• Which feature is the most useful for you?
• Do you like this model? Why?

This technique will allow the visitor to talk, and determine what kind of doubts he is overcome. Without this, further work is impossible.

The table shows the signs of each of the causes of doubt and the direction of work with them.

Cause of doubt

• Not enough product information
• The product will not solve the problem
• The price-value ratio is unfair
• Hidden doubts

How to recognize

• The client comments negatively about any characteristics of the product
• The client gradually loses interest in the product during the dialogue
• The client wants to leave your store , says that he needs to think or “look some more”
• The client does not show initiative from the very beginning of your dialogue

Direction of work

• Argued to prove to the interlocutor that his doubts are unjustified
• Re-identify the client's need (most likely, it was identified incorrectly), after which, continue the presentation in the right direction
• Give those product features that distinguish you from your competitor and could justify a higher price.
• Determine the cause of doubt

Stages of the process of dealing with customer doubts

• We listen to the client . At this stage, you should listen to all the objections of your interlocutor. Don't interrupt him. This stage will be most effective using the “active listening” technique. It consists in all sorts of “yes” to the client: repeating the last phrases of the client, paraphrasing the main conclusions.
• We express our understanding and agree that the problem exists . Don't argue with your clients, tell them that the danger they named really exists. After you have acknowledged your agreement with the client, use the “yes, but ...” technique, after the opposition, there should be an argument that neutralizes the negativity expressed by your interlocutor.

Example: “Yes, the price is really rather big, but only our product is made of metal, which increases its service life three times compared to analogues.”

• We answer questions and ask our own . If you do not understand something, do not be afraid to ask the client clarifying questions.

Example: "What do you mean?"

• We make a purchase and say goodbye to the client . No matter how your dialogue ends, thank the visitor for their time.
• Try to stick to this structure when dealing with doubts.

Tips for Dealing with Client Doubts

• Listen carefully, use the arguments expressed by clients in your argument . At the same time, the client's doubts can be stupid and unfounded, you should not leave them unattended. What is clear to you may not be clear to the client.
• Be calm, don't get irritated . Even if you have already explained the same thing ten times, do not be rude, explain again, but in more detail. But at the same time, do not litter the client's head with unnecessary information, be concise.

Remember that the more doubts a potential client expresses, the higher his interest in your product. Use it.

• Before moving on to work with clients, thoroughly study the products that you will offer . You must have as much information as possible in order to counter customer objections. Write down in advance all the positive qualities of the product, especially those that distinguish you from competitors. Be confident in your product, talk only about real characteristics.
• In the event that the client does not respond to your arguments, but only loses interest, return to the stage of determining the needs of the client . Most likely, you made a mistake and the client's need is something else. It is also likely that the client doubts not because of objective reasons, but because of personal beliefs. You can work with such a client only by talking to him. To do this, use open-ended questions.
• Use the paraphrase technique . That is, listen to the client's doubt and rephrase it in your favor.

Example:
You don't have the product I need in stock.

• I understood you correctly, does this mean that we can order it from the warehouse and you will pick it up tomorrow? The client will not be able to refuse his own words.

• Use the “yes, but” technique . On the one hand, you will show that you listen to the client and want to help him, and on the other hand, you prove to him that your product should not cause him doubts.
• Get the consent of the interlocutor after each of your arguments . You don’t need to bombard the client with a list of the positive characteristics of your product. You must first make sure that the client understands you and accepts your argument. That is, before you give the next argument, you should hear from the client that his previous doubt has been dispelled.
• At the end of the dialogue, summarize: list the client’s doubts and all the positive arguments that could dispel them . It is better to formulate the client's doubts as close as possible to how they were expressed by your interlocutor.
• Regardless of how your conversation ended, say goodbye to the client and thank them for their time and attention .

Mistakes in overcoming customer doubts

There are three mistakes by which a manager not only loses a customer, but also earns unfavorable associations for the company:

• Dispute with a client . This is the most common and the worst mistake of all novice sales managers. It is very easy to make this mistake. Let's imagine a situation. The client speaks negatively about the quality of the goods, insists that the goods will not last long. The manager explains to him that the product is made of durable material, which allows him to have such “fragile” parameters. All this is done for the convenience of users. The customer continues, "You're only saying that so I can buy this product." This is where the dialogue ends. What is the manager's fault? That's right, the salesperson immediately started arguing for the product, disagreeing with the customer's opinion. This led to a negative reaction from the buyer.
• Ignoring or avoiding the situation . The manager hears a negative reaction to the product that he just described in all colors and droops. Moreover, you can not argue with the client. Thus, the manager steps aside and leaves the client with his thoughts. There can be several outcomes in such a situation: the buyer leaves for competitors (if the doubt was caused by a lack of information or doubt about the fairness of the price), refusal to purchase. Both options do not suit us, so this mistake should not be made.
• Justification . This mistake is typical for beginners and insecure sellers. Hearing criticism, such a manager begins to apologize to the buyer, get lost, speak uncertainly, stutter. What do you think, what opinion about such a seller will the client have? Most likely, the seller will look incompetent in the eyes of the buyer. In addition, even if the seller doubts the product that he sells, then what kind of product is it? It is with these thoughts that your potential buyer will leave your store.