“What is this in regards to” is the most popular objection for gatekeepers and prospects because it is very effective at identifying if the person calling is a salesperson who is trying to sell something. Since you are a salesperson who is trying to sell something, if you comply with this objection, you might say something like:
- I am calling to introduce myself.
- I am calling to introduce our company.
- I am calling to see if you need our services.
- I am calling to schedule a meeting.
And if your answer is close to any of those, the gatekeeper or prospect will likely try to get rid of you with another objection. I am not suggesting that you be dishonest or misrepresent who you are, but you can avoid answering the question directly and stay in the game a little longer by responding with your value proposition with something like this:
Well, the reason for my call is that we help [Target Buyer Type] to decrease the amount of time it takes to get new reps ramped up.
I am not saying that the prospect or gatekeeper will hear this response and completely drop his or her guardedness. More so, it is designed to throw the other person off by not giving an answer that confirms you are a salesperson who is trying to sell something. After you share this objection response with your value points, just sit there and wait for the other person to speak as he or she will likely respond by either asking another question, giving a different objection, transferring you to the prospect, or letting you start a conversation. If the person asks another question or gives you a different objection, you have successfully gotten around the initial objection and can deal with the new question or objection.
The other good thing about using your value points for deflecting objections is that since your value points are usually very positive improvements that your product offers, it is difficult for gatekeepers and prospects to respond that they are not interested. For example, if your value is that you make people happier, it is difficult for a prospect to respond to that he or she is not interested in being happier.