Everything is going great. Your customer is engaged in the process and seems convinced by your value assertion. They're close to making that all-important first purchase until suddenly, quite unexpectedly, they put on the brakes.
Now, how often has this happened to you? If you've been in sales long enough, then it's fair to assume you've encountered this situation several times. It happens to even the best of salespeople.
However, the question then becomes: Why do B2B customers suddenly put on the brakes?
Answering this question comes down to understanding three essential reasons why B2B customers use stall tactics, objections, and roadblocks.
1. Taking Back Control
Every customer wants to feel in control of the buying process. Every customer has an innate need to have the final say. However, the top salespeople can gradually take that control away by moving the customer along the sales process.
These salespeople subtly take control away from the customer until the customer suddenly realizes they're not ready to move forward on an order. In this case, the salesperson has done everything right.
The salesperson has identified the customer's fears and concerns. They've used leading questions to get the customer to convey those concerns, and then they've tied in the company's value assertion into why the decision to purchase is the right one.
In the end, customers often use stall tactics because of some unresolved issue. The customer didn't initially bring these issues up. Regardless of why, a customer often uses stall tactics to take back control of the buying process.
2. Lack of Trust
One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is to assume that the customer trusts the salesperson simply because of the reputation of the salesperson's company. This occurs when a salesperson works for a well-recognized and well-known company. In essence, they're viewed as the market leader. The salesperson then assumes that the customer should trust them simply because of who they work for.
The truth is that it doesn't matter who you work for or who you sell for. In the eyes of the customer, this is an entirely new relationship. Just because you work for a well-known company doesn't mean the customer should immediately trust you. Granted, there will always be a level of mistrust towards a salesperson. However, it's not about being completely trustworthy but more about being responsible enough for the customer to move forward on a first purchase.
Gradually, trust between you and the customer will improve over time.
In this case, they have no history with you. They've never purchased from you, dealt with you after the sale, and have no reason to trust you now. It doesn't matter who you work for or how well-known your company is. If the customer senses it's not a good move to buy, they'll throw out an objection.
3. The Devil You Know
Finally, it's common for a customer to be interested in your offer but use an objection or stall tactic to rationalize their decision not to move forward on a purchase. In many cases, it can be a customer who currently has a vendor and isn't interested in testing the waters. This is the perfect example of the Devil you know.
Sometimes a customer would rather stick with what they have and who they know rather than risk an uncertain outcome with someone they have no history with. This happens to several customers who have undergone an exhaustive vendor acquisition process. They've tried one vendor after another, only to be let down repeatedly. Their current vendor may be less than stellar. They may continually fall short, but the customer will stick with them because they've dealt with far worse.
Now, you come with a fantastic offer that almost appears too good to be true. The customer may be using a stall tactic to justify their decision to stick with the "devil they know" rather than risk going with someone new. They are looking to justify their decision not to purchase. Even if the customer doesn't know it, they want to say, "I knew it was too good to be true!" Ultimately, it's your job to show them why buying makes sense. That can only happen when you alleviate their concerns.
How Should You Handle Customer Stall Tactics?
Ultimately, the best approach is to directly confront these objections and stall tactics. Now, this doesn't mean that you should be aggressive or dogmatic. Instead, it means that you define the customer's issue and address it proactively.
It's important to note that in several cases, a customer will use a statement that has no relevance or basis in truth to gain control. For instance, your company may be well-known for the quality of your product. Yet, your customers may claim that they've heard otherwise.
Understand that this is simply the customer's way of taking control. They are likely well aware that your quality is excellent. The issue is something else entirely, and you must find out what that is. That's your hint that something else is stopping them from moving forward; when a customer throws out anything, it's a sure sign that something else concerns them.