I don’t get no . . . . Satisfaction 
As a business owner or sales person, have you ever wished you had a cheat sheet of customer objections and the corresponding responses? This fourth installment completes such a sheet. It is literally a short list because there are only four objections: No Trust; No Need; No Help; No Satisfaction. Today, we examine No Satisfaction
“I don’t get no . . . Satisfaction”
The Rolling Stones made the right call over 40 years ago: I don’t get no satisfaction, but I try. And so must you. Try, that is. The “no satisfaction” objection has to do with follow up and post sale support. Buyers are always skeptical that you as the sales person will become scarce after the deal is signed or the transaction is completed. They have good reason to be—many have been burned in the past. And so you should anticipate the no satisfaction concern.
You’ll hear that concern during the sales cycle as “future-looking” questions.
- Questions about delivery (if applicable to your product)
- Questions about installation (if applicable)
- Questions about warranties
- Questions about parts and repairs
- Questions about your role and involvement as an advocate for the customer
Pre-empt these concerns by raising them yourself. It is always better for you to raise the objection than to wait for the customer to bring it up. Once you have eliminated all the No Trust, No Need, No Help questions, you can transition to the satisfaction phase by asking something like,
- “So, is it fair to say that you are confident that our product/service will perform the way you expect?” (assume an affirmative response).
- “You know, I find that most customers are very happy with this product/service, but are usually concerned about support afterwards. So let me outline what you can expect.
Then provide a brief description of the level of “service” you personally will provide. When you make your service a “public” announcement, two things happen. You mitigate some of the customer’s skepticism because you would be pretty embarrassed if you didn’t live up to your service commitment. And by saying out loud how you typically support your customers, you put yourself under “contract” to deliver the support. If you value future business and referrals, you will do this. If you have integrity (see No Trust article), you will honor this self-contract.
Sales and Service
We often see the phrase “sales and service,” and we think the two terms refer to separate functions. In reality the phrase should really be expressed mathematically:
Sales = service; service = sales.
Think about it. In its highest form, selling serves needs that are important for people to have fulfilled. Most of the goods and services we utilize every day we don’t/can’t provide for ourselves. Someone has to supply those needs. We call them sales people. A sales person who takes the time to understand your need or the problem you’re trying to solve, who helps you through the process of acquiring the right product/service at the right time, at the right price is providing an invaluable service.
Similarly, a person on the service side of the provider’s business—the customer service rep, the billing person, the appointment scheduler, the help desk tech—these “service” providers are reinforcing the sale and re-assuring the customer that buying from that company was a good decision. More importantly, they are encouraging you to buy from that company again and to refer their family and friends to buy from them also. Good service sells; good selling serves.
Bottom line, a service-oriented salesperson satisfies a customer’s initial need, their ongoing need for support, and their future needs for additional products/services. If you approach prospects as that service-oriented sales person from initial contact to repeat business and referrals, you will build trust, fill important needs, provide valuable help, and create satisfied customers.
Who could object to that?
For related information:
Work with Chris one-to-one on your Sales=Service “Sales Tune-Up.”
