Nate Kesterson
Sales Skills for Coaches and Personal Trainers
Overcoming the Decision Maker Objection
This conversation series centers on overcoming objections during the initial consult with a prospect. These objections fall into three major categories: Price, Decision Maker, and the Stall. This article focuses on the objection of the “decision maker” and contains two different scenarios based on the prospect’s response to the question “What would you do if they said no?”
And while no objection overcome is perfect, this scenario will give you the language and context to close more sales and help more people.
Setting: The initial consultation with a prospect. The coach and prospect have already discussed the prospect’s goal and previous efforts to achieve that goal. This scenario begins as the coach presents the price.
Scenario 1: “I’d do it anyway.”
Coach: After discussing your goals, my recommendation is our twelve-session 360 Wellness Coaching package. For all twelve sessions, the total is $378. Is this an amount you can manage?
Client: I’ll need to talk to my husband about that.
Coach: For sure. But let me ask – what would you do if he said “no”?
Client: I’d probably do it anyway (smiling).
Coach: Great. Let’s do this then. Let’s get signed up so you can schedule your first session and we can start your path to weight loss. In the meantime, go home and talk with your husband. If after you talk with him, you change your mind, just let me know and we’ll cancel it on our end. I want you to have some positive momentum toward your goals when you leave here today and I respect that you want to discuss this with your husband. So let’s get something scheduled and if you and your husband decide differently, just let me know and we’ll adjust.
Client: Okay. Thank you.
Scenario 2: (“I probably wouldn’t do it.”)
Coach: After discussing your goals, my recommendation is our twelve-session 360 Wellness Coaching package. For all twelve sessions, the total is $378. Is this an amount you can manage?
Client: I’ll need to talk to my husband about that.
Coach: For sure. But let me ask – what would you do if he said “no”?
Client: I probably wouldn’t do it.
Coach: Okay. Tell me, what do you think his objections would be to you starting this program and making progress on your weight loss goal?
(The coach then proceeds to listen carefully to what the prospect is sharing about their significant other’s potential objections. After listening, the coach addresses these objections. It could be on time, price, lack of trust, etc. The remainder of this scenario will address time as the obstacle.)
Client: It’s scheduling. Our lives are so busy that I don’t know if he and I can find the time for me to make the trip here for these sessions. Even making time to get here for us to sit down together required some juggling on both of our parts.
Coach: I understand. Scheduling can get challenging. But I have good news for you. We can do these sessions virtually and be flexible with the scheduling so it fits the ever-evolving demands of your day.
Client: Whoa. If he and I don’t have to worry about the drive time and I can just do these over the phone, that could be a game changer.
Coach: Great. Let’s tentatively schedule our first session and then you go home and talk this over with him to make sure it’s a good fit. If you two decide it’s not, just give me a call and we’ll cancel it on our end, but I believe with the flexibility the virtual sessions can offer us, we can make this work and start seeing real progress toward your goals. How does that sound?
Client: That sounds good. I’ll schedule the first session and go talk to him and let you know if we change our mind.
Coach: Perfect. I’m excited to get started. Feel free to reach out to me in the meantime with any questions you or your husband have. I’m happy to address anything that comes up.
If you’re ready to have access to a complete system that you can use to confidently produce results for client after client while increasing your income, get 360 Wellness Coaching certified.
Click HERE to get started.